Philosophy In Jain Agams: Bondage through Conscious Exertion and Natural Bondage

Bondage can take place in both ways - naturally or with conscious exertion.^[1] Natural bondage is of two kinds - beginning-less and with-beginning.^[2] The units of dharmāstikāya, adharmāstikāya and ākāśāstikāya are bound to each other with natural bondage and it is eternal.^[3] The reason for this is that these are all pervasive substances. All the units of these substances are as per their own accord. They do not spread or contracted. They never leave their place. They are bound to each other partially and not completely^[4] as per prior discussions.

Natural bondage is of three types-^[5]

1. Bandhana pratyayika
2. Bhājana pratyayika
3. Pariṇāma pratyayika

Bandhana Pratyayika

This is a concept of the formation of aggregate out of matter. Two atoms can combine to form an aggregate of two units. Similarly, three atoms combine to form an aggregate of three units. Consequently infinite atoms get combined together to form an aggregate of infinite units. There are three causes for such bondage^[6]

1. Vimātrasnigdhatā - dissimilar range of viscosity
2. Vimātra rukṣatā - dissimilar intensity of dryness
3. Vimātra snigdha-ruksatā - dissimilar intensity in both viscosity and dryness

The third cause is a combination of the first two causes. Why then is it counted as an independent cause is an analyzable issue. Probably first two kinds of bondages indicate homogenous bondage, whereas the third cause encompasses the bondage of heterogeneous atoms also.

There cannot be bondage between atoms having equal intensity of viscosity. Similarly, atoms having similar intensity of dryness also cannot get bound to each other. Only when there is variation in the viscosity or dryness does bonding between atoms takes place.^[7] An overview of such occurrences of homogenous and heterogeneous kind of bondage is available in Prajñāpanā.^[8]

Bonding between viscous atoms and between the dry atoms takes place only if there is a variation of two or more degrees (guṇa) of intensity. If the atoms on both the sides have same intensity or the variation is of only one unit (dryness or viscidity) among the participating atoms, then combination is impossible.^[9]

A viscous atom can conglomerate with another atom only if the other atom has at least two or more degrees of viscosity variation. Same is the case with bonding between dry atoms. This is the process of homogenous bondage.

According to the principle for heterogeneous bondage, atom of one degree (least range of) viscosity cannot get into a bond with the atom of one point dry quality. When the two degree viscous atom is bound with the two degree dry atom, then it is called as samaguṇa bondage i.e. equal-point bondage. When the number of guṇa differ for example an atom of two degree viscosity is bound with an atom of three or four degree dry quality, then it is called viṣamaguṇa bondage i.e. unequal-point bondage. In heterogeneous bondage, there is a provision of equal and unequal kinds of bondage.

Acharya Mahapragya, in his article titled, Āgama Sāhitya mein Sṛṣṭivāda has discussed elaborately and comparatively about the bondings of atoms (pudgala). Certain charts are quoted here as they are relevant with this topic.^[10]

Prajñāpanā pada

The table as accepted by the Prajñāpanā pada, Uttarādhyayana Cūrṇi and Bhagavatījoḍa is as follows -^[*]

Bhājana Pratyayika Bandha

This is the second kind of natural bondages with beginning. Here, the word bhājana is referred to denote the 'basis'.^[11] The nature of the object kept on any base gets transformed with the passage of a long time. This is called as bhājana pratyayika bondage. As an old liquor leaves off its previous condition of liquidity into a high concentrated liquid, and old jagarine or old rice gets accumulated into a single mass^[12] and other such transformations are called as bhājana bandha.

Pariṇāma Pratyayika Bandha

This is the third kind of natural bondage with beginning. Pariṇāma means transformation in other forms.^[13] For example as an aggregate of atoms get transformed into clouds and other forms, this is called as pariṇāma pratyayika bondage.

All these three kinds of bondage are material. Among them, Bandha pratayika seems to be the fundamental one. In this kind of bondage the mutual relation of atoms is based on particular or definite rules which is not the case with other bondages.

Bondage has been considered as material one in the post-āgamic literature^[14] whereas in Bhagavatī, beginning less natural bondage is found in dharmāstikāya, adharmāstikāya and ākāśāstikāya and natural bondage with beginning is accepted in matter.^[15]

Prayoga bondage is related with the conscious exertion.^[16] In the commentary of Tattvārthasūtra (5/24), there is a mention about the three kinds of bondage: bondage through conscious exertion, natural and mixed.^[17] The same is considered as transformation of matter in Bhagavatī^[18] and here bondage is divided into two kinds - with conscious exertion and natural.^[19] Tattvārtha bhāṣya vṛtti states that natural bondage is of two kinds- beginning less and with beginning. Dharmāstikāya, adharmāstikāya and ākāśāstikāya are classified under the beginning less natural bondage.^[20] It is clear that these three are not material in nature.

The explanation of bondage to be the nature of matter that is found in Tattvārtha and other texts, should be considered as the natural bondage with beginning. Bondage is found in all the five astikāyas in some or other form, so it should not be considered as material bondage only.