Subclasses Of Karma Selections from UTTARAADHYAYAN SUTRA

Quotations From Scriptures:
Subclasses Of Karma
Selections from UTTARAADHYAYAN SUTRA1

Synopsis

There are four aspects of the bondage of karmic particles:2

1. Nature, kind or class, which describes the kind of effect the karmas may have on the living being

2. Quantity of karma particles

3. Duration for which the karma particles will remain associated with the soul

4. Intensity of fruition

According to their nature, karmas are categorized into eight classes:

Knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, feeling-producing, deluding, life-span-determining, physique-determining, status-determining and obstructing.

In the January and April 1998 issues, the eight classes of karmas and their interrelationships were presented. Further, reasons for placing the eight types of karmas in the above sequence were discussed.

The Jain scriptures have described various subclasses of the eight types of karmas. The following quotations from UTTARAADHYAYAN SUTRA, Chapter 33, present these subclasses of karmas.

Karmas and their influence on soul:

ATTHA KAMMAAIM VOCHCHHAAMI AANUPUVVIM JAHAKKAMAM
JEHI BADDHO AYAM JEEVO SAMSAARE PARIVATTAE |1|

Describing eight main classes of karmas,
successively, in proper order;
a worldly soul, bound by these karmas,
suffers through cycles of birth and death.

Explanation: There are eight main classes of karmas. Their sequence, presented in the next two couplets, is determined by the manner in which they interact with soul.3 A worldly soul continually accumulates some karmas and sheds other karmas on account of its activities of body, speech and mind coupled with passions of anger, pride, intrigue and greed. These interactions between soul and karmas cause a worldly soul to suffer through cycles of birth and death.

Eight main classes of karmas:

NAANASSAAVARANIJJAM DANSANAAVARANAM TAHA
VEYANIJJAM TAHA MOHAM AAUKAMMAM TAHEV YA |2|
NAAMAKAMMAM CHA GOYAM CHA ANTARAAYAM TAHEV YA
EVAMEYAAI KAMMAAIM ATTHEV U SAMAASAO |3|

Eight main classes of karmas are:
knowledge-obscuring karma,
perception-obscuring karma,
feeling-producing karma, deluding karma,
life-span-determining karma,
physique-determining karma,
status-determining karma, and
obstructing karma, impeding the path to bliss.

Explanation: According to their nature, karmas have been divided into eight classes. Nature of karma implies the type of influence a given karma may have on a living being. Karma that hinders the attainment of knowledge is called knowledge-obstructing karma. Karma that clouds the perception of a living being is perception-obscuring karma. Feeling-producing karma is responsible for our feelings of pain and pleasure. Deluding karma causes attachment and aversion and thereby beguiles our mental state. As the names imply, life-span-determining, physique-determining and status-determining karmas, respectively, establish longevity, physical form (body) and family of a living being. Obstructing karma prevents a soul from achieving its rightful goal.

Subclasses of knowledge-obstructing karma

NAANAAVARANAM PANCHAVIHAM SUYAM AABHINIBOHIYAM
OHINAANAM TAEEYAM MANANAANAM CHA KEVALAM |4|

Knowledge is of five kinds: sensory cognition, literal knowledge,
extraordinary knowledge, mental knowledge and
absolute knowledge; corresponding to these,
there are five subclasses of knowledge-obscuring karma.

Explanation: Most living beings acquire information about themselves and their environment through their senses. Such knowledge is called sensory cognition. The subclass of karma that limits this kind of knowledge is called sensory-cognition-obstructing karma. Knowledge is also obtained through written and spoken words. This is literal knowledge which is hindered by literal-knowledge-obstructing karma. In a similar manner, extraordinary-knowledge-obstructing karma obscures the ability of an individual to perceive objects and events in distant places and time. Mental-knowledge-obstructing karma prevents an individual from communicating mentally. Finally, absolute-knowledge-obstructing karma keeps one from attaining omniscience.4

Subclasses of perception-obstructing karma:

NIDDA TAHEV PAYALA NIDDAANIDDA YA PAYALAPAYALA YA
TATTO YA THEENAGIDDHI U PACHAMA HOI NAAYAVVA |5|
CHAKKHUMACHAKKHUOHISSA DANSANE KEVALE YA AAVARANE
AEVAM TU NAVAVIGAPPAM NAAYAVVAM DANSANAAVARANAM |6|

There are nine subclasses of perception-obscuring karma.
Five subclasses of perception-obstructing karma are
related to five kinds of sleep, namely, normal sleep, drowsiness,
deep sleep, intense drowsiness and deep-rooted sleep.
The remaining four subclasses of perception-obscuring karma
relate to perception through eyes, perception through other senses,
extrasensory perception and absolute perception.
(Absolute perception is attained through rationalism.)

Explanation: Sleep obstructs our perception. Thus there are five subclasses of sleep-related perception-obstructing karma corresponding to five kinds of sleep: normal sleep, drowsiness, deep sleep, intense drowsiness and deep-rooted sleep. In deep-rooted sleep, called STYAANAGRIDDHI in Sanskrit, a person can commit extraordinary deeds. The remaining four subclasses of perception-obscuring karma hinder perception through eyes, perception through other senses, extrasensory perception and absolute perception.

Subclasses of feeling-producing karma:

VEYANEEYAM PI YA DUVIHAM SAAYAMASAAYAM CHA AAHIYAM
SAAYASSA U BAHU BHEYA AEMEV ASAAYASSA VI |7|

Feeling-producing karma is divided into two subclasses:
pleasant- and unpleasant-feeling-producing karmas.
Pleasant-feeling-producing karma has many subtypes,
and so does unpleasant-feeling producing karma.

Subclasses of deluding karma:

MOHANIJJAM PI DUVIHAM DANSANE CHARANE TAHA
DANSANE TIVIHAM VUTTAM CHARANE DUVIHAM BHAVE |8|

Deluding karma is divided into two subclasses:
perception-deluding and conduct-deluding.
Perception-deluding karma is of three types
and conduct-deluding karma is of two types.

Explanation: Deluding karma does not let a worldly soul see things as they are. In other words, it prevents them from understanding the real nature of things. It keeps the worldly soul from having rationalism. Its two subclasses, perception-deluding and conduct-deluding, obscure rational perception and rational conduct, respectively.

Divisions of perception-deluding karma:

SAMMATTAM CHEV MICHCHHATAM SAMMAAMICHCHHATTAMEV YA
AEYAAO TINNI PAYADEEO MOHANIJJASSA DANSANE |9|

The three subtypes of perception-deluding karma are:
karma that deludes rational perception,
karma that is responsible for irrational perception,
and karma that generates mixed perception..

Explanation: Rational-perception-deluding karma generates blemishes in rational perception. A worldly soul under the influence of this karma does not inculcate pure rational perception. Irrational deluding karma does not let a worldly soul perceive reality. The individual does not accept the real nature of things. A worldly soul under the influence of mixed-perception-deluding karma at times is rational and perceives the real nature of things, and at other times, is irrational.

Divisions of conduct-deluding karma:

CHARITTAMOHANAM KAMMAM DUVIHAM TU VIYAAHIYAM
KASAAYAMOHANIJJAM TU NOKASAAYAM TAHEV YA |10|

Conduct deluding karma is said to be of two subtypes:
one subtype is conduct-deluding related to passions,
and the other, conduct-deluding related to pseudo-passions.
(These are detailed in the following couplet.)

Further divisions of conduct-deluding karma:

SOLASAVIHABHEAENAM KAMMAM TU KASAAYAJAM
SATTAVIHAM NAVAVIHAM VA KAMMAM NOKASAAYAJAM |11|

Sixteen varieties of passion-related conduct-deluding karma
refer to four types of passions, each having four gradations;
pseudo-passions have seven or nine varieties, and
so is pseudo-passion-related conduct-deluding karma.

Explanation: The four passions are anger, pride, intrigue and greed. Each one of these can have four gradations (degrees): ANANTAANUBANDHI (ingrained from limitless times, extremely intense, like a line drawn on stone) that leads to spiritual stupefaction, APRATYAAKHYAAN (less intense, like a line drawn on wood) that prevents adoption of partial vows (householder's conduct), PRATYAAKHYAAN (mild, like a line drawn in sand) that prevents adoption of total vows (monk's conduct), and SANJWALAN (very mild, like a line on water) that generates unconscious attachment to life in monks. Thus there are sixteen (four times four) varieties of passion-related conduct-deluding karma.

Pseudo-passions are mild. There are seven varieties of pseudo-passions. These are laughter (HAASYA), indulgence (RATI), disinterest (ARATI), sorrow (SHOKA), fear (BHAYA), disgust (JUGUPSA), and sexual orientation (VED). If male, female and mixed sexual orientations are considered separately, we get nine pseudo-passions. Thus there are seven or nine varieties of pseudo-passion-related conduct-deluding karma.

Subclasses of life-span-determining karma:

NERAIYATIRIKKHAAU MANUSSAU TAHEV YA
DEVAAUYAM CHAUTTHAM TU AUKAMMAM CHAUVVIHAM |12|

The subclasses of life-span-determining karma
relate to the four states of existence of worldly beings:
hellish - miserable and painful, subhuman -
plants, insects and animals, human and heavenly.

Subclasses of physique-determining karma:

NAAMAM KAMMAM TU DUVIHAM SUHAMASUHAM CHA AAHIYAM
SUHASSA U BAHU BHEYA AEMEV ASUHASSA VI |13|

Physique-determining karma has two subclasses:
one is responsible for the good features of body
and the other, for less than desirable bodily features.
Both subclasses have numerous varieties.

Subclasses of status-determining karma:

GOYAM KAMMAM DUVIHAM UCHCHAM NEEYAM CHA AAHIYAM
UCHCHAM ATTHAVIHAM HOI AEVAM NEEYAM PI AAHIYAM |14|

There are two subclasses of status-determining karma;
one subclass leads to a highly desirable status
and the other, to low status and lineage.
Each has been divided into eight gradations.

Subclasses of obstructing karma:

DAANE LAABHE YA BHOGE YA UVABHOGE VEERIAE TAHA
PANCHAVIHANTARAAYAM SAMAASEN VIYAAHIYAM |15|

Obstructing karma might keep a worldly being from
charity, benefit, direct delectations,
indirect delectations and the potential to achieve.
Evidently, for the most part, these relate to spiritual goal.

Explanation: It should be pointed out that obstructing karma is a soul-influencing (GHAATIYA) karma, while charity (DAAN), benefit (LAABH), direct delectations (BHOG), indirect delectations (UPABHOG) and potential (VEERYA) relate, for the most part, to materials. Jain scriptures state:5 The obstructing karma prevents a soul from attaining its full potential. However, it operates in conjunction with the three body-influencing karmas, namely, life-span-determining, physique-determining and status-determining karmas. Therefore, hindrance to charity (DAAN), benefit (LAABH), direct delectations (BHOG), indirect delectations (UPABHOG) and potential (VEERYA), which constitute the five subclasses of obstructing karma, essentially relate to spiritualism.

Footnotes:

1. The English adaptation is based on UTTARAADHYAYAN SUTRA, translation and commentary by Shri K. C. Lalwani, published by Prajnanam, Calcutta, 1977. Back up

2. For details, please see 'Studies in Jainism: Reader 2', published by the Jain Study Circle, 1997, Lesson 35. Scriptural View of the Jain Theory of Karma, pages 121-126.
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3. Please see 'Quotations From Scriptures', Jain Study Circular, January 1998 and April 1998. Back up

4. For details about the five kinds of knowledge, please see 'Studies In Jainism: Reader 2', published by Jain Study Circle, 1997, page 24.
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5. Please see 'Karmas: Their Classification And Interrelationships,' Jain Study Circular, April 1998, page 4.