Chapter-37 - Swaddhayaya (Studying Scriptures)

1. What is Swadhyâya ?

Reading true scripture, reflecting or exhorting ,etc., is Swadhyāya. It is said a supreme penance.

2. How many kinds the Swadhyaya is ?

Swadhyāya is of two kinds- Nischaya Swadhyāya ,(i.e. absolute introspection/engrossment in self-soul for spiritual progress) and Vyavhara Swadhyāya, (i.e. devotional study of all great religious books).

3. What is Nischaya Swadhyāya ?

Jñānbhavnalasyatyagah Swadhyāya, i.e. Adoring right knowledge renouncing laziness, is Nischaya Swadhyāya.

4. What is Vyavhar Swadhyâya ?

1. Reading, questioning, reflecting, revision and exhorting of Anga Pravishta (old texts) and Anga Bahya (second part of scriptural knowledge written by preceptors) canons, is Vyavhar Swadhyāya.
2. Reading, memorising reality, etc. is Vyavhar Swadhyāya.

5. How many kinds of Vyavhar Swadhyaya is ?

There are five kinds of Vyavhar Swadhyāya -

1. Vachna (reading) - Reading / pronouncing and explaining without error along with correct meaning, is Vachna Swadhyāya.

2. Prachhna (questioning) - Raising question for removing doubt or for consolidating the matter already known, is Prachhna. Questioning for testing the knowledge of the teacher or instructor or for exhibiting one's own knowledge, is notPrachhna. Well, that is to make fun of the teacher or to pose oneself a learned.

3. Anupreksha - Pondering over the matter already known again and again, isAnupreksha, Just as -

बाटी जली क्यों, पान सड़ा क्यों ?

घोड़ा अड़ा क्यों, विद्या भूली क्यों ?

the answer of all the above question is one - did not turn over.

Why the dough bread burnt, why the betel turned rotten ?

Why the horse jibbed, why the knowledge is forgotten ?

the answer of all the above question is - did not turn over/revise.

4. Amnaya - Repeating the lesson/ text again and again along with correct pronunciation, is Amnaya Swadhyāya and remembering the text is also Swadhyāya. Recitation of the text of Bhaktamer, Namokar Mantra, etc. is included in it.

5. Dharmopdesha - To impart religious exhortation for self beneficence, for removing false path and doubt, for showing nature of the matter-substance and causing the audience to attain gems-trio, is Dharmopdesha. (Tattvarthasutra, 9/25)

6. Living being of which body-forms engage in studying scriptures ?

Only living beings of two body-forms study religious scriptures, viz. human & celestial beings.

7. Living beings of which body-forms exhort religious preaching ?

Living beings of human & celestial body-forms exhort religious preaching.

8. Living beings of which body-forms listen to religious preaching ?

Living beings of all the four body-forms listen to religious preaching.

9. Whether infernal beings also listen to religious preaching ?

Yes, all celestial beings up to 16th heaven can go up to the third hell for exhorting religious instructions, Just as - the soul of Seeta had gone to the third hell for enlightening the soul of Laxman. (according to Prathmanuyoga)

10. How many organs (parts) of knowledge are there, give definition ?

There are eight organs of the knowledge -

1. Vyanjanachar - Reading & teaching alphabet, verse-line, vowel-mark ,etc. correct, in conformity with grammatical rules, is Vyanjanachar.
2. Arthachar - Reading & teaching scriptures grasping their meaning correctly, is Arthachar.
3. Ubhyachar ,(i.e. both reading with proper pronouncing and understanding) - Reading & teaching alphabet with correct pronunciation along with its meaning and understanding correctly, is Ubhyachar.
4. Kalachar: Reading & teaching in right time - The scriptures should be read and taught in proper time. Reading of Sutra Granthas, (i.e. doctrinal treatises) is forbidden in improper time, like - reading-teaching treatises composed by Gandhar devas and composed by ascetics well-versed in Eleven Organs and 10 Purvas (kinds of canons), during excellent greats days of Nandishwara, on the eighth and fourteenth days of every lunar fortnight, 15th day of dark and light half of each lunar month, in all the three Sandhya Kala, (i.e. joining time of night-morning, morning-afternoon and evening-night), in late night, in sun-moon eclipse and meteoric fall, etc. Bhavnagranthas, Prathmanuyoga, Charnanuyoga, Karnanuyoga are not forbidden.
5. Vinyachar: Studying-teaching with paying reverence to scriptures - Studying and teaching holy scripture with reverence maintaining purity of clothes, body and region, is Vinayachar.
6. Updhanachar (Religious observance) : To adore along with retention, studying along with rememberance, without forgetting or studying the holy scripture with specific vow / resolution etc,. i.e. ,to study after renouncing some thing.
7. Bahumanachar: Paying much respect to scripture - To revere the knowledge, the treatise as well as the teachers;to read canon placing in on the higher seat along with reading of its invocatory prologue (Manglacharan) and after studying Jinwani eulogy should be recited.
8. Aninhavachar, (i.e. not hiding source of knowledge): Not to hide the name of the holy scripture or teacher / preceptor from whom the knowledge has been learnt for example if taught by less learned Guru, his importance will be lessened by disclosing the name of that Guru, hence to name some specialised or famous Guru, is Ninhava and not doing so, is Aninhavachar. (Moolachar, gatha, 269)

11. What are the advantages of studying scriptures ?

Main advantages of studying scriptures are as follows -

1. Innumerable times dissociation of Karmas occurs.
2. The knowledge and power of memorising is increased.
3. Power of tolerance is achieved.
4. The ignorance is destroyed.
5. The complicated questions are solved.
6. The fickleness of mind is removed.
7. The conduct is gained by the knowledge when he studies the Pratyakhyana named ninth Purva sitting in the proximity of Teerthankara up to 3 to 9th years, only then he attains the Parihar Vishuddhi Sanyam, (i.e. a kind of pure conduct devoid of violence ,i.e. violencerefraining restraint).
8. Worship by deities is also gained by Swadhyāya. When Acharya Shri Dharsenji taught Muni Narvahanji and Muni Subuddhiji, the deities of Bhoot species worshipped at the end of study and had set right the row of teeth of one of the Muni Maharaj due to which Acharya Shri Dharsenji named those Muniraj as Bhootbali & Pushpadantji.
9. Muni Maghnandi ji was reestablished in religion only due to knowledge, i.e. he again became Muni.
10. New and newer subjects are gained for reflecting/meditating the realities (Tattva chintan).
11.  non-Jain boy Ganesh Prasad Varni had become Kshullaka due to listening to study of scripture (Shastra Swadhyāya).