तत्त्वार्थराजवार्तिक और कर्मबन्ध के प्रत्यय
By डॉ. (श्रीमती) कुसुम पटोरिया
Summary
The article examines the role of mithyatva (false belief) in the process of karmabandha (bondage of karma) as discussed in the Tattvartharajavartika by Acharya Akalanka. While mithyatva, avirati (non-abstinence), pramada (carelessness), kashaya (passions), and yoga (activity) are generally considered causes of bondage, the text notes that prakriti (nature) and pradesha (spatial) bondage are attributed to yoga, while sthiti (duration) and anubhaga (intensity) bondage are attributed to kashaya. The article argues that pramada and avirati can be subsumed under kashaya, leaving mithyatva as the primary subject of inquiry. According to the gunasthanas (stages of spiritual development), all five causes operate in the first stage; mithyatva is absent in the second, third, and fourth stages; and only yoga remains in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth stages, with no bondage in the fourteenth. The article emphasizes that sthiti and anubhaga bondage are primary, and their cause is kashaya. It clarifies that mithyatva is a general cause for the bondage of sixteen prakritis, but its presence does not guarantee their bondage; specific causes like kashaya are necessary. The Tattvarthavartika states that anantanubandhi kashaya (intense passions) produces mithyadarshana and is thus the cause of mithyatva's duration bondage. The article concludes that while mithyatva is a general cause of bondage, kashaya is the special cause, as highlighted by the repetition of "sakashayatvat" in the Tattvarthasutra. The essence is that kashaya is the primary cause of karmabandha, with mithyatva serving as a general prerequisite.
Conclusion
The analysis of the *Tattvārtharājavārttika* confirms that while mithyātva (false belief) is a general cause of karmic bondage, the specific and primary cause is kaṣāya (passion). The text clarifies that mithyātva serves as a general prerequisite, but the actual binding of karma—particularly the duration and intensity of bondage—is determined by the presence and intensity of kaṣāya. This is evident in the discussion of the guṇasthānas, where the absence of kaṣāya in higher stages leads to only minimal, momentary bondage through yoga alone. The ultimate implication is that liberation is achieved not merely by overcoming false belief, but by eradicating the passions that fuel the karmic mechanism. Thus, the work underscores the critical role of emotional purification in the path to spiritual freedom, making kaṣāya the central target for those seeking to break the cycle of rebirth.