Book I, Lecture 4, Lesson 4

Jaina Sutras, Part II (SBE22), tr. by Hermann Jacobi, [1884], at sacred-texts.com

FOURTH LESSON.

One should mortify (one's flesh) in a low, high, and highest degree, quitting one's former connections, and entering tranquillity. Therefore a hero is careful, a person of pith ², guarded, endowed (with knowledge, &c.), and always restrained. Difficult to go is the road of the heroes, who go whence there is no return (final liberation). Subdue blood and flesh. (1)

That man is called a worthy one, a hero, one to be followed, who living in chastity [guarding his eyes] shakes off the aggregate ³.

He who desires the current of karman, is a fool who has not cut off the fetters of, nor conquered the connection with, (the world.) For such as dwell in darkness, and are without knowledge, there is no success in faith. Thus I say. (2)

'Whence should he have it ⁴, who does not get it

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early, late, or in the middle of life?' But the discerning one is awakened, and ceases to act. See that it is good to be so! Cutting off that 'whence bondage, cruel death, and dreadful pain,' 'and the (desire for) external (objects) flow, he who among mortals knows freedom from acts,' 'seeing that acts will bear fruit, the knower of the sacred lore, parts from (karman).' (3)

There are those who have established themselves in the truth, who (were, are, or will be) heroes, endowed (with knowledge), always exerting themselves, full of equanimity ¹, valuing the world (as it deserves) in the east, west, south, north. We shall tell the knowledge of them who (were, &c.) heroes, endowed (with knowledge), always exerting themselves, full of equanimity, valuing the world (as it deserves).

Is there any worldly weakness in the Seer? There exists none, there is none. Thus I say. (4)

End of the Fourth Lecture, called Righteousness.

Footnotes

40:2 Sârae. The commentators translate it with svârata = su + â (â gîvanamaryâdâyâ) + rata (samyamânushthâne), for ever delighting in the exercise of control. I think the Sanskrit prototype of sârae is sâraka.

40:3 These words seem to have formed a sloka, which could easily be restored if we read: purise davie vîre âyânigge viyâhie | vâsittâ bambhakeramsi ge dhunâi samussayam || The aggregate is either that of the constituent parts of the body, i, e. the body itself, or that of karman, i.e. the sum of karman.

40:4 Success in faith.

41:1 Samghadadamsino: nirantaradarsinah subhâsubhasya.