Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626
This page describes the four kinds of celestial beings (deva) which is verse 4.1 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 1 of the chapter The Celestial Beings and includes an extensive commentary.
Verse 4.1 - The four kinds of celestial beings (deva)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha 蝉奴迟谤补 4.1:
啶︵啶掂ぞ啶多啶氞い啷佮ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶苦啶距く啶距 啷� 啷�.啷� 啷�
诲别惫腻艣肠补迟耻谤峁噄办腻测腻岣� || 4.1 ||
The celestial beings鈥�deva鈥揳re of four classes (苍颈办腻测补). (1)
Hindi Anvayarth:
啶呧え啷嵿さ啶ぞ啶班啶�: 啶︵啶� 啶氞ぞ啶� 啶膏ぎ啷傕す 啶掂ぞ啶侧 啶灌啶�, 啶呧ぐ啷嵿ぅ啶距い啷� 啶︵啶掂啶� 啶曕 啶氞ぞ啶� 啶啶� 啶灌啶�-1. 啶さ啶ㄠさ啶距じ啷�, 2. 啶掂啶え啷嵿い啶�, 3. 啶溹啶啶むた啶粪, 4 啶掂啶ぞ啶ㄠた啶曕イ
Anvayartha: deva cara samuha vale haim, arthat devom ke cara bheda haim-1. bhavanavasi, 2. vyantara, 3. jyotishi, 4 vaimanika |
Explanation in English from 膧c膩rya P奴jyap膩da鈥檚 Sarv膩rthasiddhi:
The word 鈥�deva鈥欌�揷elestial beings鈥揾as appeared several times earlier, viz., 鈥楥lairvoyance based on birth鈥�bhavapratyaya 补惫补诲丑颈箩帽腻苍补鈥搃s possessed by the celestial and the infernal beings.鈥� (see 蝉奴迟谤补 1-21). Who are celestial beings and of how many kinds? This is explained now.
The celestial beings (deva) get this status on the rise of the name-karma (苍腻尘补办补谤尘补)鈥�devagati鈥搇eading to the celestial state; they roam freely and derive pleasure in several parts of the terrestrial world, the mountains and the oceans surrounding them. They are endowed with magnificence, splendour and extraordinary powers. It is contended that the word 鈥�deva鈥� should have been used in the singular rather than in the plural; 鈥榯he celestial being is fourfold鈥� should have been used since a collective noun denoting a class implies the plural. But the use of the plural is intended to indicate that there are different ranks within a particular class of 鈥�deva鈥�, such as the lord (indra) and the equals (蝉腻尘腻苍颈办补). There are other differences also, based on duration of life, and so on. On the common basis of the rise of karmas leading to the celestial state, the celestial beings are grouped in classes (苍颈办腻测补), in spite of individual differences. Thus there are four classes of celestial beings. Who are they? They are the residential (产丑补惫补苍补惫腻蝉墨), the peripatetic (vyantara), the stellar (箩测辞迟颈峁补) and the heavenly (惫补颈尘腻苍颈办补) deva.