Tattvarth Sutra – Chapter 2 Sutra 26 to 30

Sūtra 2.26 – Anuśreṇi-gatiḥ

Word-split (Sandhi Viccheda): Anu + śreṇi + gatiḥ

• Anu = sequential, orderly
• Śreṇi = rows/lines of space-points in the cosmos, extending upward, downward, and obliquely (east, south, west, north)
• Gatiḥ = movement

Meaning:
The movement of souls (jīvas) and matter-particles (pudgalas) takes place in a sequential, linear order through the rows of space-points (śreṇis). This is called anuśreṇi-gati.

• This motion is straight and directional (upward, downward, or oblique), not curved or irregular.
• Just as graph paper has straight rows and columns along the x, y, z axes, the cosmos too is structured in rows (śreṇis) of space-points through which motion occurs.

Special notes:

1. After death, during vigraha-gati (the passage to rebirth), the soul’s movement always follows this śreṇi-based order—never otherwise. Similarly, pure atoms (śuddha paramāṇus) travel in straight anuśreṇi-gati up to 14 rājus (cosmic units of distance). Impure aggregates of matter do not move this way.
2. Although the context is the soul (jīva), the term gati (movement) also applies to matter (pudgala). Thus, this sūtra includes both. The next sūtra explicitly speaks of the soul, so here matter is also naturally implied.

Objection 1:
But when the moon, stars, celestial beings (jyotiṣka devas), or vidyādharas move (e.g., in circumambulation of Mount Meru), their paths appear non-linear, not strictly śreṇi-based. Does this not contradict the rule?

Answer:
This sūtra speaks of movement in the specific context of death and rebirth. Post-death motion of souls and pure atoms is always straight-line śreṇi-movement. Other worldly motions seen in life are not meant here.

Objection 2:
How can souls and atoms travel as far as 14 rājus instantly?

Answer:
This is the rule of space (kṣetra). For example, if a soul leaves the lower atmospheric layer and is reborn in the Siddha-śilā (the top of the universe) or in the tenuous upper atmosphere (tanu-vātavalaya), it may travel 14 rājus straight upward. Similarly, pure atoms also move up to 14 rājus in one instant.

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Sūtra 2.27 – Avigrahā jīvasya

Word-split: Avigrahā + jīvasya

• Avigrahā = without turn, straight, non-deviating
• Jīvasya = of the soul

Meaning:
The motion of liberated souls (mukta-jīvas) is always straight, without bends, and directed upward (ūrdhva-gati) toward the Siddha-śilā (the abode of liberated souls).

Explanation:

• Śreṇi-based motion is of two kinds:
  1. Vigrahavatī-gati – motion that requires bends/turns to reach the destination.
  2. Avigrahā-gati – straight-line motion, without bends.
• The journey of liberated souls is of the second type—avigrahā-gati. Having shed all karmas, their movement to the top of the universe is always direct and straight.

Why is only the liberated soul mentioned here?
The text doesn’t explicitly name “liberated soul,” but since the next sūtra (2.28) will describe the motion of worldly souls (saṃsārī-jīvas), by contrast this sūtra naturally refers to the liberated ones (mukta-jīvas).

Sūtra 2.28 – Vigrahavatī ca saṃsāriṇīḥ prāk caturbhyaḥ

Word-split (Sandhi Viccheda): Vigrahavatī + ca + saṃsāriṇīḥ + prāk + caturbhyaḥ

• Vigrahavatī = bent, curved, or turn-including movement
• Ca = and (in contrast to the previous “avigrahā” = straight motion)
• Saṃsāriṇīḥ = of worldly (non-liberated) souls
• Prāk = before
• Caturbhyaḥ = four (times)

Meaning:
The movement of worldly souls during vigraha-gati (post-death transmigration to a new body) may be straight (avigrahā) or curved (vigrahavatī). But in either case, it always takes place within four units of time. No soul remains in vigraha-gati beyond four time-instants (samayas).

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Explanation:

• Worldly souls (saṃsārī-jīvas) have two types of motion during rebirth:
  1. Straight-line (avigrahā / ṛju-gati) – no bends.
  2. Curved-line (vigrahavatī-gati) – involves bends before reaching the new body.
• Time taken (Samaya measure):
  • Straight motion (no bend) → 1 samaya
  • 1 bend (pāṇi-mukta-gati) → 2 samayas
  • 2 bends (lāṅgalikā-gati, plough-shaped) → 3 samayas
  • 3 bends (gomūtra-gati, cow’s-urine-shaped) → 4 samayas

Thus, the number of bends determines the extra time: bends + 1 = total time.
Hence, no transmigrating soul ever takes more than 4 samayas to reach its place of rebirth.

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Four types of Vigraha-gati:

1. Ṛju-gati (Īṣu-gati) – straight-line, like an arrow shot from a bow.
2. Pāṇi-mukta-gati – one bend, like an object slipping from the hand and falling with a turn.
3. Lāṅgalikā-gati – two bends, like the path traced by a plough.
4. Gomūtra-gati – three bends, like the irregular line of cow’s urine (but maximum bends = 3, never more).

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Sūtra 2.29 – Eka-samaya-avigrahā

Word-split: Eka + samaya + avigrahā

• Eka = one
• Samaya = time-instant
• Avigrahā = straight, without bends

Meaning:
In straight-line (avigrahā / ṛju) motion, only one samaya is required.

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Special Note:

• A liberated soul (mukta-jīva), after liberation, moves upward straight (avigrahā-gati) through the tenuous upper atmosphere (tanu-vātavalaya) and reaches the Siddha-śilā, which is 525 yojanas thick, in just one samaya.
• In contrast, worldly souls may take up to 4 samayas, depending on the bends.

Sūtra 2.30 – Ekaṁ dvau trīn vā anāhārakaḥ

Word-split (Sandhi Viccheda): Ekaṁ + dvau + trīn + vā + anāhārakaḥ

• Ekaṁ = one
• Dvau = two
• Trīn = three
• Vā = or (as the case may be)
• Anāhārakaḥ = one who does not take in the pudgala āhāra-vargaṇās (subtle matter-units fit for building bodies)

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Meaning:

During vigraha-gati (the soul’s transmigratory journey after death until the next birth), the soul remains without intake of pudgala (non-material-feeding) for one, two, or three time-instants (samayas).

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Explanation:

• In the previous sūtras, time of vigraha-gati was explained as maximum 4 samayas.
• This sūtra adds the detail of āhāraka (matter-intake) vs anāhāraka (non-intake):
  1. In ṛju-gati (straight motion) → the soul is never anāhāraka (because it immediately drops the old body and takes new pudgala for the new body).
  2. In pāṇi-mukta gati (1 bend) → soul is anāhāraka for 1 samaya.
  3. In lāṅgalikā gati (2 bends) → soul is anāhāraka for 2 samayas.
  4. In gomūtra gati (3 bends) → soul is anāhāraka for 3 samayas.
  5. In the final 4th samaya, the soul must be āhāraka because it begins forming the new body by absorbing pudgala vargaṇās.

Thus: maximum 3 samayas of non-intake (anāhāraka), and in the last one it must always be āhāraka.

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Āhāraka vs. Anāhāraka (special note):

• Āhāraka here does not mean food/eating.
  It refers to the absorption of subtle pudgala vargaṇās required for forming new bodies (audarika, vaikriya, āhāraka śarīras) and completing the six paryāptis (stages of sufficiency):
  1. Āhāra-paryāpti – assimilation of pudgala for a new body
  2. Śarīra-paryāpti – forming hard and soft tissues
  3. Indriya-paryāpti – forming sense-organs
  4. Śvāsa-ucchvāsa-paryāpti – forming respiration
  5. Bhāṣā-paryāpti – forming speech mechanism
  6. Manaḥ-paryāpti – forming physical mind (only in sañjñī jīvas, not in one-sensed or mindless beings)
• Anāhāraka = state when the soul, in its transit, is not yet absorbing these pudgala-vargaṇās for its new embodiment.

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Cycle of Death and Rebirth (as per Sūtras 2.28–30):

1. At the moment of death: the old audarika/vaikriya body is dropped. The soul retains only kārmaṇa and tejas śarīras.
2. Vigraha-gati:
   • If the destination is in a straight line → reaches in 1 samaya and is immediately āhāraka.
   • If bends are required → spends up to 3 samayas as anāhāraka, and becomes āhāraka in the 4th.
3. At rebirth (new bhava): the soul begins āhāra-paryāpti by drawing pudgala-vargaṇās, then completes the 6 paryāptis within an antarmuhūrta (less than 48 minutes), resulting in the full development of the new body.

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✅ Summary of Sūtra 2.30:

• In vigraha-gati, a soul may remain anāhāraka (non-pudgala-absorbing) for 1, 2, or 3 samayas, depending on bends in the journey.
• In the final samaya, the soul must become āhāraka to begin forming its new embodiment.
• This is why death to rebirth never exceeds 4 samayas.

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

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