Tattvārtha Sūtra is essentially a study of the seven basic elements that go into the making of Jain philosophy. The first three sutras of Tattvārtha Sūtra, chapter 1, systematically explain how shedding of karmas leads one to moksha or salvation. The fourth sutra enumerates the seven basic elements or tattvas (तत्व):
जीवाजीवा-स्रवबन्धसंवरनिर्जरामोक्षास्तत्त्वम्॥4॥
The sutra can be deconstructed as:
जीव + अजीव + आस्रव + बन्ध + संवर + निर्जरा + मोक्षाः + तत्त्वम्
(A literal translation of the sutra would be: “Soul, non-soul, influx, bondage, stoppage, shedding (of karma), and liberation (moksha) are the fundamental realities.”)
For those who are interested in the word-for-word meaning of the seven elements:
1 जीव (jīva) = soul, living being
2 अजीव (ajīva) = non-soul, non-living substances
3 आस्रव (āsrava) = influx of karmic matter into the soul
4 बन्ध (bandha) = bondage; binding of karma to the soul
5 संवर (saṃvara) = stoppage of karmic influx
6 निर्जरा (nirjarā) = shedding or exhaustion of accumulated karma
7 मोक्ष (mokṣa) = liberation; complete freedom from all karma
तत्त्वम् (tattvam) = reality, fundamental principle, truth
Tattvārtha Sūtra has ten chapters out of which seven are devoted to the seven tattvas (तत्व) or elements. The last chapter is exclusively devoted to Moksha, its description and ways to achieve it.
Since the purpose of this write in not to lay out the details of Jain philosophy but to trace the origin, progression and culmination of the concept of moksha hence I will strictly restrict myself to the concept of moksha and the progression of its usage and meaning through ages.
The very first sutra of chapter 10 explains the definition of moksha as given in the Jain tradition.
मोहक्षयाज्ज्ञान-दर्शनावरणान्तराय-क्षयाच्च केवलम्॥ 1॥
The deconstructed form is:
मोह + क्षयात् + ज्ञान + दर्शन + आवरण + अन्तराय + क्षयात् + च + केवलम्
Mark the usage of words मोह + क्षयात् because herein lies the crux of etymology of the word Moksha as elucidated in the Jain tradition. This gives a new meaning to the word, markedly different from the Hindu Sanskrit tradition.
According to the Jain tradition the word Moksha (मोक्ष) is an amalgamation of two words, Moha (मोह) + kshaya (क्षय). The combination of the two words gives a composite meaning: cessation of allurements. The Jain tradition prescribes its own etymology of the two words मोह + क्षय. The word Moha (मोह) is derived from its verbal root muh (मुह्) meaning delusion or yearning (for something or somebody). Moh leads to craving, craving incites attachment and this very attachment is the root cause of all our sufferings. Likewise, the word kshay (क्षय) is derived from its verbal root क्षि (kṣi) meaning “to decay, gradual death or to perish”. Thus, the composite meaning of मोह + क्षय would be ‘cessation of attachment/yearnings or delusion’.
The first mantra of chapter 10 of Tattvārtha Sūtra explains the root cause of our messy life and shows us a benevolent way out. According to Jain belief our karmas carry with them the rewards, or the recompense thereof, which cover and cloud our soul, preventing it from achieving the state of absolute bliss, called Kevalam (केवलम्). The key to salvation, therefore, lies in complete shedding/destruction of our karmas and the awards or the recompenses thereof.
मोहक्षयाज्ज्ञान-दर्शनावरणान्तराय-क्षयाच्च केवलम्॥ 1॥
Perfect bliss or “omniscience” (Kevalam) is attainable only by complete cessation/destruction of delusion caused by our karmas that cloud knowledge, cloud perception, and obstruct our soul’s sublime powers.
The 10th chapter of Tattvārtha Sūtra tells us more about the whys and hows of Moksha that leads us to the state of Kevalam Jnana — the absolute bliss.
The gist of our research, so far, is that the two words “moksha” and “mukti” which Sanskrit grammarians claim to have had the same verbal root मुच् (much), evolved almost similarly in the Hindu theological lexicon till the advent of the Christian era. However, their line of evolution drastically diversified from 2nd century CE or so, after the publication of Acharya Umaswami’s Tattvārthasūtra which gave a new connotation to the word “moksha”. In the vedic and vedantic Hindu theology which existed between 1500 BCE and 600 BCE the word “mukti” was preferred over “moksha” to denote “freedom from” bondage in our daily life. However, between 2nd and 5th centuries CE Tattvārthasūtra, gave the word “Moksha” an elevated, sublime meaning, quite different from its kin “mukti” – and this new meaning was gradually picked up by the Hindu theologians and subsequent sages.
Next: Moksha, a new dimension