Here is the fall from 4th guṇasthān back into mithyātva, step‑by‑step, in line with Jain āgams and later śāstras (like Tattvārth Sūtra, Gommaṭsāra etc.), explained in simple language.

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1. Where are we starting from? – 4th Guṇasthān

4th guṇasthān = Avirat Samyak-dṛṣṭi

• “Avirat” = without vows (no formal renunciation).
• “Samyak-dṛṣṭi” = right faith / right vision.

State of the soul here:

• Firm faith in the 9 tattvas, true God–Guru–Dharma.
• No belief in false gods, false gurus, wrong paths.
• But still:

- No full vows. - Passions like anger, pride, deceit, greed are present, though somewhat softened. - Conduct-deluding mohanīya karma is still active.

Types of samyak-darśan (right faith) here:

Classical texts say samyak-darśan can be of three kinds:

1. Upaśamik – produced by suppression of wrong-belief mohanīya.
2. Kṣāyik – produced by destruction of wrong-belief mohanīya.
3. Kṣāyopaśamik – mixed: some deluding karmas destroyed, some only suppressed.

• Fall back to mithyātva happens only where there is still some suppression (upaśam) element.

- Pure kṣāyik samyak-darśan is extremely stable; once achieved, mithyātva does not return in that life (though other falls in conduct are discussed separately).

So, when we speak of “fall from 4th to mithyātva”, it is primarily for upaśamik or kṣāyopaśamik samyak-darśan.

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2. Why does the fall happen? – Cause in Karmic Language

Main reason as per Jain texts:

1. Re-rise of mohanīya karma:

- The deluding karma of mithyātva (wrong belief) and error-feeding passions (anantānubandhi kaṣāyas) that were previously suppressed start operating again.

1. Operation of anantānubandhi kaṣāya:

- These are the most dangerous forms of passions: - Intense anger - Intense ego - Intense deceit - Intense greed - They are called “anantānubandhi” because they bind endless future bondage and can destroy samyak-darśan.

1. Psychological side (bhāva):

- Gradual weakening of reverence toward true path. - Subtle attraction towards wrong beliefs, wrong gurus, wrong practices. - Carelessness (pramād) in spiritual life. - Eventually, full acceptance of false views.

In short:

> Suppressed deluding karma + rising intense passions → samyak-darśan breaks → fall from 4th guṇasthān starts.

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3. The route of fall in terms of Guṇasthāns

When a soul falls from 4th guṇasthān to mithyātva, it does not jump in one step. The āgamic tradition explains intermediate transitory stages.

Overall sequence (downward):

4 → 2 → 3 → 1

• 4th: Avirat Samyak-dṛṣṭi
• 2nd: Sāsvādana Samyak-dṛṣṭi
• 3rd: Miśra-dṛṣṭi (mixed belief)
• 1st: Mithyādṛṣṭi (complete wrong belief)

The 2nd and 3rd stages here are very short-lived, each within at most one antar-muhūrta (less than 48 minutes; some texts mention even shorter micro‑time like a few avalīs).

Let’s go one by one.

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4. Stage 1 of the fall: From 4th to 2nd – “Sāsvādana Samyak-dṛṣṭi”

Name meaning:

• “Sāsvādana” = having a taste (of something already enjoyed).
• So, sāsvādana samyak-dṛṣṭi = “stage of only a taste of right faith”.

Very important point from āgamic tradition:

• 2nd guṇasthān appears only while falling from 4th to 1st.

It is never a stage in upward movement.

• While going up from mithyātva, the route is 1 → 3 → 4 (not via 2).

While going down from 4, the route touches 2 and 3.

What is happening inwardly in 2nd guṇasthān?

• Full, firm samyak-darśan of 4th has already broken.
• But the soul still has a kind of after-taste / memory of truth.
• Technically:

- Operation of mithyātva mohanīya has not completely manifested as fixed wrong-belief yet. - Right-belief mohanīya has ceased; wrong-belief mohanīya is about to dominate. - That in-between moment is called sāsvādana.

Bhāva (mental state) here, in simple words:

• No longer in the pure, steady reverence of a samyak-dṛṣṭi.
• Not yet fully in wrong belief.
• Just a lingering taste of faith:

- “I had right faith; something was true there…”

• The scriptures describe it as “neither fully right nor fully wrong, but only the taste of right”.

Duration:

• Extremely short.
• Texts like Gommaṭsāra mention:

- Minimum: one instant. - Maximum: a few avalīs (tiny measures of time) – always less than an antar-muhūrta.

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5. Stage 2 of the fall: From 2nd to 3rd – “Miśra-dṛṣṭi” (Mixed view)

3rd guṇasthān = Samyak-Mithyā-dṛṣṭi / Miśra-dṛṣṭi

• “Miśra” = mixed.
• Here right and wrong belief are mixed together.

Role in the fall:

• Classical texts state clearly:

- Miśra guṇasthān is always passed through when falling from the 4th. - It can appear both in descent (4 → … → 1) and in ascent (1 → 3 → 4).

What is happening inwardly in 3rd guṇasthān?

• The soul is oscillating:

- Sometimes feeling, “Jin’s teaching is correct.” - Sometimes feeling, “Maybe this other belief/way is also correct.”

• It is like a pendulum between right and wrong belief.
• Not the pure reverence of 4th, not the complete rejection of 1st.
• Caused by the operation of miśra mohanīya karma, a form of dṛṣṭi-mohanīya.

Bhāva (mental state):

• Indifferent toward truth: no clear strong “yes” or “no” toward Jina’s path.
• Neither fully surrendered to Jain tattvas, nor completely denying them.
• The mind is confused and unsettled.

Duration:

• Like sāsvādana, it is also:

- Very short. - Max: within one antar-muhūrta when in such transition.

• After this brief phase, the soul:

- Either falls to 1st guṇasthān (if wrong side wins), or - Rises back to 4th or beyond (if true faith re‑strengthens).

In the specific case we are describing (fall “back into mithyātva”), the outcome is:

> 4 → 2 (sāsvādana) → 3 (miśra) → 1 (mithyātva)

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6. Final Stage of the fall: Arrival at 1st Guṇasthān – Mithyādṛṣṭi

1st guṇasthān = Mithyādṛṣṭi

• Full wrong belief / false world-view.

What it means:

• The soul now accepts wrong beliefs as right:

- False gods, false gurus, false scriptures. - Wrong views about soul, karma, bondage, liberation.

• No real respect for the true path of the Jinas.
• Strong passions:

- Anger, pride, deceit, greed in their heavy, anantānubandhi form.

• Very little or no remorse for sinful acts.

Karmic situation:

• Mithyātva-mohanīya is now fully operative again.
• The error-feeding passions are active and bind heavy karma.

Spiritually:

• The guarantee of liberation that was assured with samyak-darśan (4th stage) is lost.
• The soul is again in the “from beginningless time” cycle of mithyātva–saṃsār, unless and until it again rises to samyak-darśan.

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7. Putting all stages in clean order

While RISING (for understanding contrast):

• From mithyātva to right faith:

- 1 → 3 → 4 - 2nd guṇasthān is not touched on the upward path.

While FALLING from 4th back to mithyātva:

1. 4th – Avirat Samyak-dṛṣṭi

- Stable right faith; no wrong belief, but no vows.

1. 2nd – Sāsvādana Samyak-dṛṣṭi (very short)

- Full right faith broken. - Only a taste / residual impression of right faith remains. - Neither proper right nor proper wrong belief is active yet. - Exists only in downward journey from 4th to 1st.

1. 3rd – Miśra-dṛṣṭi (very short)

- Right and wrong belief mixed. - Vacillation, confusion, and indifference.

1. 1st – Mithyādṛṣṭi

- Settled in wrong belief. - Full mithyātva; heavy passions; belief in wrong path.

This is exactly how later texts systematically describe the soul’s downward path from 4th guṇasthān into mithyātva.

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8. Digambar & Śvetāmbara: any difference?

• On basic structure of the 14 guṇasthāns and these four belief-stages (1–4):

- Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions agree: - Names of stages. - Order: 1 → 3 → 4 upwards; 4 → 2 → 3 → 1 downwards. - Very short-time nature of 2nd & 3rd during transitions.

• Minor differences may appear in:

- Technical counting of time (avalī etc.) - Some commentary details.

• But the essential picture of the fall from 4th to mithyātva with passage through 2nd and 3rd is the same.

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9. Simple summary in plain language

• At 4th guṇasthān, the soul has right faith but no vows.
• If intense passions and deluding karma rise again:

- The right faith cracks.

• First, the soul passes through a tiny instant called sāsvādana:

- It has lost full right belief but still has only a taste of it.

• Then it passes through miśra:

- It swings between right and wrong view.

• If, in that mixed stage, the soul doesn’t firmly return to truth, it settles back into wrong belief:

- That is 1st guṇasthān (mithyātva).

• So the detailed route is:

> 4 (right faith) > → 2 (only taste of right faith) > → 3 (mixed right and wrong faith) > → 1 (complete wrong faith / mithyātva)

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For a simple overview of all 14 guṇasthāns in easy language, you can refer here: “Gunstanak and its types”