History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.349.3

v7.c95.349.3

he takes '*pūrvaprajñā*' in that passage as equal to *vāsanā* ('latent impressions or reminiscences of past experiences). The activities of a person in past lives may be madhya²⁵⁹⁶ (middling or moderate), manda (inferior), tīvra (formidable). A good deed which is three parts sāttvika and one part rājasa is called madhya; a deed which is half sāttvika and half rājasa is tīvra. Then Acyutarāya refers to a conflict of views. Following the words ‘punyo vai puṇyena karmaṇā bhavati pāpaḥ pāpena’ (Br. Up. III. 3. 13 quoted in note 2510 above), some writers held that it is only Karma that is the cause of a new birth and that vidyā (knowledge of all kinds) and pūrvaprajñā have nothing to do with it, while others relying on Br. Up. IV. 4. 2 (to which reference is made in the Saṅkṣepaśārīraka III. 18) held that Vidyā, Karma and Pūrvaprajñā have all to do with the assumption of a new body by the soul. Achyutarāya agrees with this latter view. He divides and subdivides Karma, vidyā and pūrvaprajñā, so that ultimately the threefold apparatus for giving a new body comes to 96 varieties and remarks that these divisions are not of much use.²⁵⁹⁷ To the objection that all this refutation of prārabdhavāda is idle and serves no purpose he replies: men are of three sorts, mukta (liberated), mumukṣu (desirous of liberation) and viṣayin (immersed in enjoying the objects of sense). As regards the first the Chān. Up. VI. 14.