स्वामी समन्तभद्र की वाणी के आलोक में दैव और पुरुषार्थ

Summary

The text examines the philosophical debate between fate (daiva) and human effort (purushartha) as causes of success and failure in life. It presents the views of fatalists who argue that all events, both favorable and unfavorable, are solely determined by destiny, citing examples such as the birth of Krishna in prison, the death of Ravana in battle, the exile of Rama, and the suffering of Sita and the Pandavas. The fatalist perspective, as expressed by King Bhartrihari, holds that even powerful beings like Indra can be defeated, proving that fate alone is the protector and human effort is futile. In contrast, the materialist Charvaka school argues that only human effort leads to success, using the analogy that a sleeping lion does not have prey enter its mouth, and that only the industrious attain prosperity. The Jain perspective, as articulated by Swami Samantabhadra in the light of Lord Mahavira's teachings, adopts a nuanced, non-absolutist (syadvada) approach. It recognizes the importance of both fate and human effort, stating that neither alone can achieve results. Fate is understood as the result of past actions (karma), while human effort refers to present endeavors. The text argues that if only fate were effective, there would be no need for effort, leading to an infinite regress and the impossibility of liberation. Conversely, if only effort were effective, all efforts would succeed equally, which is not observed. Samantabhadra refutes both extremes, asserting that the cooperation of both factors is necessary. He distinguishes between situations where unintentional actions yield results (where fate is primary) and intentional actions (where effort is primary), emphasizing that neither can function without the other due to their interdependent relationship.