Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
The physical body etc. is formed by the efforts of the soul. This is called matter produced by conscious effort.[1] When the conscious effort, natural and mixed kinds of transformations are considered, the creation accepted by Jainism gets divided into two types -
- Creation by conscious efforts
- Creation by non-living things.
- Jīvakṛta sṛṣṭi - (Creation by the conscious efforts). Through the conscious efforts and mixed transformations of matter, the formation of body etc. is called jīvakṛta sṛṣṭi.
Through its potential power, jīva builds up the body, senses and colour, smell, taste, touch and configuration or structure of the body. This is transformation produced by conscious exertion.[2] This is called as jīvakṛta sṛṣṭi. In the section of Bhagavatī, where transformation produced by conscious exertion of matter is discussed, diversity of jīvakṛtasṛṣṭi has been discussed on the basis of body, senses and colour etc.
Body and senses are material by nature. Colour, smell, taste and touch -these are the characteristics of matter. Structure is also the characteristics of matter.[3]
This diversity of jīvakṛta sṛṣṭi occurs due to the difference in combination of matter. That is why, while discussing about this, body, senses, colour, smell, taste, touch and configuration have also been discussed. As the soul, builds up the body and senses, it also builds up the colour, smell, taste, touch and structure of the body.[4]
Soul has two kinds of energies - ābhogika and anābhogika. Autonomous functions inspired by desires are carried out by ābhogika (psychic dynamic energy) while anābhogika energy (psychic kinetic energy) is autonomous. The formation of body, sense and colour etc. takes place with the help of anābhogika vīrya. Bondage through conscious efforts occur due to this anābhogikavīrya.[5] In the section of Bhagavatī where there is a discussion about the transformation produced by conscious exertion, there is an illustration of five kinds of body, five kinds of senses, five kinds of colour, two kinds of smell, five kinds of taste, eight kinds of touch and five kinds of configuration.[6] Due to these diverse enabling creating factors, diversity is reflected in the jīvakṛtasṛṣṭi.
The first example of transformation produced by conscious exertion of matter is conscious exertion of one-sensed beings.[7] Similarly, it is for mixed kind of transformation[8] though both are different in their nature. Those material particles of audārika vargaṇā from which the body of one sensed beings is formed, fall under the category of transformation produced by conscious exertion of one sensed beings.
The dead body of one sensed beings, when it undergoes natural transformations is called as mixed transformation of one sensed being. Here, the previous transformation produced by conscious exertion by one sensed being and the present natural transformation both take place simultaneously.
Pot is made up of clay. Clay was primarily earth-bodied one sensed being. Later when the soul of one sensed beings depart from the body, it turns into non-living. In this condition, the clay is the left over body of the one sensed being. It has the innate potentiality to get transformed into a pot. This is the transformation of clay into another form such as pot. So, it is the substance obtained by the mixed transformation of one sensed beings.
The world before us is a material world. Whatever is before our eyes, is either soul-possessed-body or soul-departed-body. Living body is an example of transformations produced by conscious exertion. Primarily there are five kinds of living body-
- One - sensed living body
- Two - sensed living body
- Three - sensed living body
- Four - sensed living body
- Five - sensed living bod
There are innumerable sub classes of these basic forms of life.[9] Similarly, soul - departed body is also of five forms in general, but, through sub classification its types become innumerable in numbers. Conscious exertion, natural and mixed transformation are the basic constituents of the creation (sṛṣti). First two kinds of transformation are soul - produced creation. Natural transformation is the creation of non living being (matter). The transformation in the colour etc. occurs due the nature of matter. Soul has no role in that.[10] Different Indian philosophies have described Sṛṣṭi in different ways. There can be a comparison of those with these three kinds of transformations.
