Uttaradhyayana 34 · Jaina Sutras – Jacobi · Verses Across
Jainism · Agamas
Uttaradhyayana 34Lecture 34: On Lesya
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Jainism · Agamas
Uttaradhyayana 34
Lecture 34: On Lesya
JacobiEnglish
I shall deliver in due order the Lecture on Lesya; hear the nature of the six Lesyas (produced by) Karman.
Hear 1. the names, 2. colours, 3. tastes, 4. smells, 5. touches, 6. degrees, 7. character, 8. variety, 9. duration, 10. result, and 11. life of the Lesyas.
1. They are named in the following order: black, blue, grey, red, yellow, and white.
2. The black Lesya has the colour of a rain-cloud, a buffalo's horn, (the fruit of) Rishtaka, or the eye of the wagtail.
The blue Lesya has the colour of the blue Asoka, the tail of the Kasha, or of lapis lazuli.
The grey Lesya has the colour of the flower of Atasi, the feathers of the Kokila, or the collar of pigeons.
The red Lesya has the colour of vermilion, the rising sun, or the bill of a parrot.
The yellow Lesya has the colour of orpiment, turmeric, or the flowers of Sana and Asana.
The white Lesya has the colour of a conch-shell, the anka-stone, Kunda-flowers, flowing milk, silver, or a necklace of pearls.
3. The taste of the black Lesya is infinitely more bitter than that of Tumbaka, (the fruit of the) Nimb-tree, or of Rohini.
The taste of the blue Lesya is infinitely more pungent than Trikatuka and Hastipippali.
The taste of grey Lesya is infinitely sourer than that of unripe Mango and Kapittha.
The taste of red Lesya is infinitely more pleasant than that of ripe Mango and Kapittha.
The taste of yellow Lesya is infinitely better than that of excellent wine and various liquors, honey and Maireyaka.
The taste of white Lesya is infinitely better than that of dates, grapes, milk, candied and pounded sugar.
The smell of the bad Lesyas (viz. the three first) is infinitely worse than that of the corpse of a cow, dog, or snake.
The smell of the three good Lesyas is infinitely more pleasant than that of fragrant flowers and of perfumes when they are pounded.
5. The touch of the bad Lesyas is infinitely worse than that of a saw, the tongue of a cow, or leaf of the Teak tree.
The touch of the three good Lesyas is infinitely more pleasant than that of cotton, butter, or Sirisha-flowers.
6. The degrees of the Lesyas are three, or nine,
or twenty-seven, or eighty-one, or two hundred and forty-three.
7. A man who acts on the impulse of the five Asravas, does not possess the three Guptis, has not ceased to injure the six (kinds of living beings), commits cruel acts, is wicked and violent, is afraid of no consequences, is mischievous and does not subdue his senses--a man of such habits develops the black Lesya. (21, 22)
A man of the following qualities: envy, anger, want of self-control, ignorance, deceit, want of modesty, greed, hatred, wickedness, carelessness, love of enjoyment; a man who pursues pleasures and does not abstain from sinful undertakings, who is wicked and violent--a man of such habits develops the blue Lesya. (23, 24)
A man who is dishonest in words and acts, who is base, not upright, a dissembler and deceiver, a heretic, a vile man, a talker of hurtful and sinful things, a thief, and full of jealousy--a man of such habits develops the grey Lesya. (25, 26)
A man who is humble, steadfast, free from deceit and inquisitiveness, well disciplined, restrained, attentive to his study and duties, who loves the Law and keeps it, who is afraid of forbidden things and strives after the highest good--a man of such habits develops the red Lesya. (27, 28)
A man who has but little anger, pride, deceit, and greed, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself,
who is attentive to his study and duties, who speaks but little, is calm, and subdues his senses--a man of such habits develops the yellow Lesya. (29, 30)
A man who abstains from constant thinking about his misery and about sinful deeds, but engages in meditation on the Law and truth only, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who practises the Samitis and Guptis, whether he be still subject to passion or free from passion, is calm, and subdues his senses--a man of such habits develops the white Lesya. (31, 32)
8. There are as many varieties of Lesyas as there are Samayas in the innumerable Avasarpinis and Utsarpinis, and as there are countless worlds.
9. Half a muhurta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sagaropamas plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the black Lesya.
Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya is the longest duration of the blue Lesya.
Half a muhurta is the shortest, and three Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya is the longest duration of the grey Lesya.
Half a muhurta is the shortest, and two Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya is the longest duration of the red Lesya.
Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten Sagaropamas plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the yellow Lesya.
Half a muhurta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sagaropamas plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the white Lesya.
I have described above the duration of the Lesyas generally; I shall now detail their duration in the four walks of mundane existence.
The shortest duration of the grey Lesya (of a denizen of hell) is ten thousand years, the longest three Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and part of an Asamkhyeya.
The shortest duration of the blue Lesya (of a denizen of hell) is three Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya, the longest ten Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya.
The shortest duration of the black Lesya (of a denizen of hell) is ten Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya, the longest thirty-three Sagaropamas.
I have described the duration of the Lesyas of denizens of hell; I shall now describe that of animals, men, and gods.
The duration of any of the Lesyas except the best (viz. white one) is less than a muhurta for (the lowest organisms), animals, and men.
Half a muhurta is the shortest duration of the white Lesya (of animals and men), and the longest a Krore of former years less nine years.
I have described the duration of the Lesyas of animals and men, I shall now describe that of the gods.
The shortest duration of the black Lesya is ten thousand years, the longest a Palyopama and (a part of) an Asamkhyeya.
The shortest duration of the blue Lesya is equal to the longest of the black one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyopama plus a (greater part of) an Asamkhyeya.
The shortest duration of the grey Lesya is equal to the longest of the blue one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyopama plus (a still greater part of) an Asamkhyeya.
I shall now describe the red Lesya as it is with gods, Bhavanapatis, Vyantaras, Gyotishkas, and Vaimanikas.
The shortest duration of the red Lesya is one Palyopama, the longest two Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya.
The shortest duration of the red Lesya is ten thousand years, the longest two Sagaropamas plus one Palyopama and a part of an Asamkhyeya.
The longest duration of the red Lesya plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the yellow Lesya; its longest, however, is ten muhurtas longer.
The longest duration of the yellow Lesya plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the white Lesya; the longest, however, is thirty-three muhurtas longer.
10. The black, blue, and grey Lesyas are the
lowest Lesyas; through them the soul is brought into miserable courses of life.
The red, yellow, and white Lesyas are the good Lesyas; through them the soul is brought into happy courses of life.
11. In the first moment of these Lesyas when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence.
In the last moment of all these Lesyas when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence.
While the last muhurta is running and a part of it is still to come, the souls with their Lesyas developed, go to a new birth.
A wise man should, therefore, know the nature of these Lesyas; he should avoid the bad ones and obtain the good ones.
