Sūtra 2.21 – Śrutam anindriyasya ( श्रुतमनिन्द्रियस्य )
Sandhi-viccheda: śrutam + anindriyasya
- Śrutam = “that which is heard / knowable through scriptural knowledge”
- Anindriyasya = “of that which is without senses (mind)”
Meaning:
The subject of the mind is śruta (scriptural knowledge). Unlike the senses, the mind does not depend on physical contact with objects. Instead, it deals with conceptual thinking of both perceptible (rūpī) and imperceptible (arūpī) objects.
The mind’s function is thought (vicāra). It can think about objects perceived through the senses as well as those not perceived by them. This reflective process is called śruta-jñāna (scriptural or verbal knowledge).
Thus, the scope of the mind is unlimited, as it can process infinite varieties of concepts, both material and immaterial.
Sūtra 2.22 – Vanaspatyantānām ekam ( वनस्पतयन्तानमेकम् )
Sandhi-viccheda: vanaspati + antānām + ekam
- Vanaspati = plant-bodied (vegetative life)
- Antānām = at the end / included among
- Ekam = one
Meaning:
Immobile beings (sthāvara jīvas) such as earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, and plant-bodied (vanaspati-kāyika) have only one sense, namely the sense of touch (sparśana indriya).
This occurs due to the rise of karmas like:
- Vīryāntarāya karma (obstructing energy),
- Sparśanendriyāvaraṇa karma (obscuring the touch sense),
- Supporting nāma karmas (body, limbs, one-sensed class, etc.).
As a result, such beings manifest only the touch sense and no higher sense.
Sūtra 2.23 – Kṛmi-pipīlikā-bhramara-manuṣyādīnām ekaika-vṛddhāni ( कृमिपिपीलिकाभ्रमरमनुष्यादीनामेकैकवृद्धानि )
Sandhi-viccheda: kṛmi + pipīlikā + bhramara + manuṣya + ādīnām + eka + eka + vṛddhāni
- Kṛmi = worms
- Pipīlikā = ants
- Bhramara = bees
- Manuṣya-ādīnām = humans and others
- Eka-eka-vṛddhāni = progressively increasing one by one
Meaning:
Moving beings (trasa jīvas) have senses that gradually increase one by one:
- Two-sensed beings (dvi-indriya, e.g., worms) – touch + taste
- Three-sensed beings (tri-indriya, e.g., ants) – touch + taste + smell
- Four-sensed beings (catur-indriya, e.g., bees) – touch + taste + smell + sight
- Five-sensed beings (pañcendriya, e.g., humans, animals, birds) – touch + taste + smell + sight + hearing
Thus, starting from one-sensed immobile beings (Sūtra 2.22), the senses increase step by step until the full set of five senses is found in humans and higher beings.Tattvarth Sutra – Chapter 2 Sutra 16 to 20
Sūtra 2.24 – Sañjñinaḥ samanaskāḥ ( सञ्ज्ञिनः समनस्काः )
Word meaning:
- Sañjñinaḥ = conscious, rational, capable of intention (sajñī / saini)
- Samanaskāḥ = endowed with mind (manas)
Meaning:
Beings with a mind are called sajñī (conscious/rational beings).
Such beings are capable of:
- Distinguishing benefit (hita) from harm (ahita),
- Evaluating virtues and faults,
- Remembering past experiences,
- Making deliberate choices.
In other words, mind-endowed beings have higher faculties of thought, judgment, and memory compared to mindless (amanaska) beings.
Doubt / Question (śaṅkā):
If action toward benefit or harm (pravṛtti in hita–ahita) requires the mind, then during vigraha-gati (the soul’s passage between death and new birth), the mind is absent.
👉 How does the soul then travel and take up a new body without the mind?
Sūtra 2.25 – Vigrahagatau karma-yogaḥ ( विग्रहगतौ कर्म योग )
Word meaning:
- Vigraha = embodiment, body formation
- Gatau = in the transition/movement
- Karma-yogaḥ = activity of the karmic body
संधि विच्छेद– विग्रह+गतौ +कर्म योग
शब्दार्थ– विग्रह-विग्रह ,गतौ -गति में,कर्म योग -कर्म योग रहता है !
Meaning:
In vigraha-gati (the intermediate state between death and new birth), the soul is propelled by karma-yoga—the activity of the karman body (kārmaṇa-śarīra).
अर्थ– विग्रहगति में जीव कर्म योग अर्थात कार्माण योग होता है जिससे एक गति से दूसरी गति में जाता है !
Explanation:
- The karman body (kārmaṇa śarīra) is a subtle body made of karmic matter attached to the soul.
- Through the vibrations of this body (kāyika yoga), the soul moves from the place of death to the place of rebirth.
- This process is called karma-yoga or kārmaṇa yoga.
- Thus, even without the mind, the soul migrates due to the natural operation of karmic forces.
विग्रह गति-नया शरीर धारण करने के लिए गमन करने को विग्रह गति है !
कर्मयोग-ज्ञानावरणीय कर्मो के समूह को कार्मण शरीर कहते है!कार्माण काययोग के निमित्त से आत्मा के प्रदेशोंमें परिस्पंदन /कम्पन्न होता है उसे कर्मयोग /कार्माण योग कहते है !इसी के द्वारा जीव मृत्यु स्थान से नवीन जन्म स्थान को गमन करता है !
Definition of Vigraha-gati:
The journey of the soul to acquire a new body at rebirth.
Sutra 26 to 30
English explanation of Tattvarth Sutra
Chapter 1 – Sutra 1 to 5 | Sutra 6 to 12 | Sutra 13 to 19 | Sutra 20 to 25 | Sutra 26 to 31 | Sutra 32 and 33
Chapter 2– Sutra 1 to 5 | Sutra 6 to 10 | Sutra 11 to 15 | Sutra 16 to 20 |
Animations and Visualizations.
मुनि श्री 108 प्रणम्यसागरजी तत्वार्थ सूत्र with Animation




