English rendering of Prashna Vyakarana (Dashanga)

• What it is: Prashna Vyakarana, also known as Prashnavyakarana, is the 10th Anga (section) of the Jain Agamas. In the Shvetambara tradition it is presented as a dialogue-format treatise on key Jain doctrines about karma. The core focus is on how karmic inflow (Ashrav) occurs and how it is stopped (Samvar). In practice, it explains the causes of bondage and the means to liberation in a systematic, question-and-answer style.

• Main topics (in simple terms):

- Ashrav (influx of karmas): The various ways karma can attach to the soul due to our actions, thoughts, speech, and associations. - Samvar (cessation of influx): The practices and virtues that prevent further karmic inflow, allowing purification and eventual liberation.

• The five inflows (asravas) and the five stops (samvaras) are typically framed as:

- Five inflows (examples, in brief): violence (harm to living beings), falsehood (lying or deceit), taking what is not given (stealing), improper sexual conduct, and possessiveness or attachment (greed/avarice). These are described as the doors through which karma enters the soul. - Five stops (principles of conduct): non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), celibacy/control of senses (brahmacharya), and non-possessiveness or renunciation of attachment (aparigraha). These are presented as safeguards that stop further karmic influx.

• Purpose and aim: To help the seeker understand why life remains entangled in karma and how to progressively lessen and eventually stop karmic bondage through ethical restraint, discipline, and right conduct. The text emphasizes practical application in daily life toward spiritual purification and Moksha (liberation).

• Tradition-specific notes:

- There are variations in terminology and emphasis between Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions, but the core teaching—Ashrav (influx) and Samvar (cessation) via right conduct—remains central in both. - The exact lists and descriptions of the five asravas and five samvaras may differ slightly across manuscripts and commentaries, but the overall framework is consistently treated as the foundation for understanding the karma doctrine.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise English gloss of each of the ten chapters (adhyayanas) as they relate to Ashrav and Samvar, or offer a simple, verse-by-verse paraphrase for a specific section.