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Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)

by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626

This page describes wrong knowledge is whimsical which is verse 1.32 of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara. This is verse 32 of the chapter Right Faith and Knowledge and includes an extensive commentary.

Verse 1.32 - Wrong knowledge is whimsical

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 1.32:

सदसतोरविशेषाद्यदृच्छोपलब्धेरुन्मत्तवत् � �.३२ �

岹ٴǰśṣādⲹṛcDZ貹ܲԳٳٲ || 1.32 ||

Owing to lack of discernment between the real (sat–that exists) and the unreal (asat–that does not exist), wrong knowledge is whimsical as that of the lunatic. (32)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्�: [यदृच्छोपलब्धेः] अपनी इच्छ� से चाहे जैसा ग्रह� करने के कारण [सत� असतोः] विद्यमान और अविद्यमा� पदार्थों का [अविशेषात्] भेदरूप ज्ञा� (यथार्थ विवे�) � होने से [उन्मत्तवत्] पागल के ज्ञा� की भाँत� मिथ्यादृष्टि का ज्ञा� विपरी� अर्थात� मिथ्याज्ञा� ही होता है�

Anvayartha: [yadricchopalabdheh] apani iccha se cahe jaisa grahana karane ke karana [sat asatoh] vidyamana aura avidyamana padarthom ka [avisheshat] bhedarupa jnana (yathartha viveka) na hone se [unmattavat] pagala ke jnana ki bhamti mithyadrishti ka jnana viparita arthat mithyajnana hi hota hai |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

‘Sat� is that which exists; �asat� is that which does not exist. Without proper discernment, knowledge becomes erroneous. Sometimes, owing to the operation of wrong belief (ٳ岹śԲ), when colour, form, etc., are present, these are apprehended as not present; when not present, these are apprehended as present. Also, at certain times, what exists is apprehended as existing, and what does not exist is apprehended as non-existing. For instance, the person whose mind is deranged due to disturbed bile indiscriminately considers the mother as the wife and the wife as the mother. At certain times, he may also consider, according to his whims, the mother as the mother and the wife as the wife. Even the latter is not true knowledge as it is only accidental and not based on discrimination. Similarly, error arises in case of sensory knowledge, etc., while ascertaining shape, colour, etc., of objects. It is as follows. Owing to the operation of wrong belief (ٳ岹śԲ) three kinds of error arise: error of cause�ṇa貹, error of difference or non-difference�岹-, and error of nature�svarūpa貹, while apprehending colour, etc.

Error of cause�ṇa貹: Some say that the cause of colour, etc., is one, non-material and permanent. Others consider that the atoms which constitute earth, water, fire and air are of different classes, possessing four qualities, three qualities, two qualities and one quality, respectively. The atoms of one class produce things belonging to the same class. Some others say that earth, water, fire and air are four elements, characterized by the qualities of colour, odour, taste and touch. The collection of these constitutes only one type of atom called ṣṭ첹 (one whole, having eight parts). Still others say that different classes of atoms, such as earth, water, fire and air, characterized by qualities of hardness, fluidity, heat and movement, respectively, produce the objects in the world.

Error of difference or non-difference�bhedābheda貹: This error entails considering the cause (ṇa) and effect () as either absolutely different or absolutely identical.

Error of nature�svarūpa貹: In this error, the person believes that colour, etc., are without particulars, or colour, etc., do not exist, or it is ñԲ (see footnote, p. 25) that takes the form of colour, etc., and there is no other object which is the substratum of colour, etc.

This way, owing to the rise of wrong belief (ٳ岹śԲ), people give credence to figments of imagination which go against the known sources of knowledge and inference. Therefore, these are wrong sensory knowledge�kumati ñԲ, wrong scriptural knowledge�śܳٲ ñԲ, and erroneous clairvoyance�vibhaṅga ñԲ. But right belief (ⲹ岹śԲ) promotes conviction in substances ascertained as these truly are. Therefore, with right belief, these become sensory knowledge�matiñԲ, scriptural knowledge�śrutāñԲ, and clairvoyance�avadhiñԲ.

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