Bhagavati-sutra (Viyaha-pannatti)
by K. C. Lalwani | 1973 | 185,989 words
The English translation of the Bhagavati-sutra which is the fifth Jaina Agama (canonical literature). It is a large encyclopedic work in the form of a dialogue where Mahavira replies to various question. The present form of the Sutra dates to the fifth century A.D. Abhayadeva Suri wrote a vritti (commentary) on the Bhagavati in A.D. 1071. In his J...
Part 2 - Increase and decrease in the number of living beings
Bhagav膩n Gautama,...till made the following submission:
Q. 146. Bhante! Do the livings beings increase, decrease or remain constant (i.e., as many are born as die)35?
A. 146. Gautama! Living beings neither increase nor decrease; they remain constant.
Q. 147. Bhante! Do infernal beings increase, decrease or remain constant?
A. 147. Gautama! Infernal beings increase, decrease and also remain constant. As with infernal beings, so...till the 痴补颈尘腻苍颈办补蝉.
Q. 148. Bhante! What about the perfected souls?
A. 148. Gautama! They increase, but they never decrease; also they remain constant.
Q. 149. Bhante! How long do living beings remain constant?
A. 149. All time.
A. 150. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit and maximum innumerable portion of an 腻惫补濒颈办腻. Likewise about their decrease-
Q. 151. Bhante! How long do infernal beings remain constant?
A. 151. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit and maximum 24 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉. Like this, they increase and decrease in the seven hells. This is to be stated. Differences are in the matter of remaining constant, which are as follows: 48 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉 in the 搁补迟苍补辫谤补产丑腻, 14 day-nights in the 艢补谤办补谤腻辫谤补产丑腻, one month in the 痴腻濒耻办腻辫谤补产丑腻, two months in the 笔补峁卥补辫谤补产丑腻, 4 months in the 顿丑奴尘补辫谤补产丑腻, 8 months in the 罢补尘补岣谤补产丑腻, and 12 months in the 惭补丑腻迟补尘补岣谤补产丑腻.
The 础蝉耻谤补办耻尘腻谤补蝉, too, increase and decrease like infernal beings. As for their constancy, minimum is one time-unit, and maximum 48 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉. Like this are also the ten species of the Bhavanapatis.
152鈥擝eings with one organ of sense increase, decrease and also remain constant. For all the three states, minimum is one time-unit, and maximum is innumerable portions of an 腻惫补濒颈办腻 Beings with two organs increase and decrease like that. As to their constancy, minimum is one time-unit, and maximum is less than two times 48-minutes (i.e., less than two antar尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉). And like this with beings,...till with four organs of senses.
Other living beings, too, increase and decrease like that; but as to their state of constancy, the differences are as follows:
(i) a峁噄mals with five organs of senses and not born of the mother鈥檚 womb鈥�2 antar尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
(ii) animals with five organs of senses and born of the mother鈥檚 womb鈥�24 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
(iii) men not born of the mother鈥檚 womb鈥�45 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
(iv) men born of the mother鈥檚 womb鈥�24 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
(v) B膩峁嘺vyantaras, 闯测辞迟颈峁补蝉 and gods in the Saudharmakalpa and 莫艣腻苍补-kalpa鈥�48 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
in 厂补苍补迟办耻尘腻谤补鈥�18 day-nights 40 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
in 惭腻丑别苍诲谤补鈥�24 day-nights 20 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉;
in Brahmaloka鈥�45 day-nights;
in 尝腻苍迟补办补鈥�90 day-nights;
in 惭补丑腻艣耻办谤补鈥�108 day-nights;
in 厂补丑补蝉谤腻谤补鈥�200 day-nights;
in 膧峁嘺ta and 笔谤腻峁嘺迟补鈥攁 limited number of months;
in 膧谤补峁嘺 and Acyuta鈥攁 limited number of years.
Like this in the nine Graiveyakas. The state of constancy in Vijaya, Vaijayanta, Jayanta and 础辫补谤腻箩颈迟补 extends over innumerable thousand years. In 厂补谤惫腻谤迟丑补蝉颈诲诲丑补, the state of constancy lasts for a limited portion of a palyopama. To be precise, all these increase and decrease for minimiun one time-unit and maximum an unlimited portion of an 腻惫补濒颈办腻, and their state of constancy has been stated above.
Q. 153. Bhante! How long do the perfected souls increase?
A. 153. Minimum one-time unit and maximum eight time-units.
Q. 154. How long is their state of constancy?
A. 154. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit and maximum six months.
Q. 155. Bhante! Are the living beings with reinforcement, with withdrawal, with reinforcement-withdrawal, without reinforcement without withdrawal36?
A. 155. Gautama! The living beings are not with reinforcement, nor with withdrawal, nor with reinforcement-withdrawal, but without reinforcement without withdrawal. The one-organ beings are like the third item (i.e., with reinforcement-withdrawal) and the rest are like the fourth item.
Q. 156. And the perfected souls, pray?
A. 156. Gautama! The perfected souls are with reinforcement, not with withdrawal, nor with reinforcement-withdrawal, nor without reinforcement without withdrawal.
Q. 157. Bhante! How long do the living beings stay without reinforcement without withdrawal?
A. 157. All time.
Q. 158. Bhante! How long are the infernal beings with reinforcement?
A. 158. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit and maximum an unlimited portion of an 腻惫补濒颈办腻.
Q. 159. How long (are they) with withdrawal?
A. 159. The same (as in 157).
Q. 160. How long with reinforcement-withdrawal?
A. 160. The same.
Q. 161. What鈥檚 the length of their being without reinforcement without withdrawal?
A. 161. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit, and maximum 12 尘耻丑奴谤迟补蝉. All the one-organ beings are for all times with reinforcement and with withdrawal. All the rest are with reinforcement, with withdrawal, with reinforcement-withdrawal, and also without reinforcement without withdrawal. The minimum span for all these is one time-unit, and the maximum span is innumerable portions of an 腻惫补濒颈办腻 As to the state of being without reinforcement without withdrawal鈥攊t is like viraha-办腻濒补 (period of non-arrival non-departure).
Q. 162. Bhante! How long are the perfected souls with reinforcement?
A. 162. Gautama! Minimum one time-unit and maximum 8 time-units.
Q. 163. What鈥檚 the span of their being without reinforcement without withdrawal?
A. 163. Minimum one time-unit and maximum six months.
Bhante! So they are. Glory be to the Lord! So saying, Bhagav膩n Gautama paid homage and obeisance to the Lord, and having done so, he withdrew to his seat.
Chapter Eight ends.
Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva S奴ri):
35. Births and deaths are a regular process. But when more are born than die, it is Increase; when more die than are born it is Decrease; when as many are born as die, it is a state of Constancy.
36. When to the existing number of living beings more are added, it is sopacaya (with reinforcement); when the number diminishes due to deaths, it is sopacaya (with withdrawal); when due to simultaneous births and deaths, there are simultaneous increases and decreases, it is 蝉辞辫补肠补测补-蝉腻辫补肠补测补 (with reinforcement-withdrawal); when there are neither births nor deaths, neither additions nor subtractions, it is 苍颈谤奴辫补肠补测补-苍颈谤补辫补肠补测补. (without reinforcement without withdrawal).