


Bhavnas can be termed as mental reflections.Bhaav is necessarily a product of the mind.
In the Tatvarthasutra,9 th chapter, 7th aphorism mentions the twelve bhavnas.
There are Twelve auspicious bhavnas which invoke piety and are stepping stone to enter a spiritual life.
These mental reflections whether one comes upon deliberately or not,but most of us in this world ,irrespective of their faith, religion, or nationalities undergo or experience one or more of these reflections in their life time,and as a result,feelings of detachment,sense of despair,sense of futility of this life,feelings of loneliness,insecurity etc arise especially in the old age or sickness or if afflicted by some disease.Most of the time it is for a temprory period and either one is trapped into some organisation,or carry on with the mundane existence.Very few arrive or become enlightened human beings.
The following is brief explanations, because these bhavnas can vary according to each individual (dravya), place (kshetra), time (kaal).
1: Anitya Bhavna: Everything in this world is temprory in nature, pleasure or pain, happiness or misery,love or hate,and duration of life itself.
2: Asharan bhavna: One cannot take or seek refuge in anything to avoid death, or there is no security.
3: Sansaar bhavna: We all live in a dream world or a world which is fake and its bound to end.
4: Ekatva bhavna: One comes alone and goes alone.Each one has a unique individuality.
5: Anyatva bhavna: One is not different from other living beings.
6: Ashuchi bhavna: The very nature of body is decay.However one may decorate or enhance its beauty it is inherently matter.
7: Asrav : Activity of mind speech and body attracts karman vargana pudgal and it’s a inflow.
8: Samvar: Restraint and carefulness is the way to stop the inflow.
9: Nirjara: When one observes samvar the nirjara that is the disassociation of karman vargana pudgal happens.There can be aakam or saakam nirjara.
10: Lok bhavna: To reflect on the six substances (dravyas) which comprise of this world, and are neither created, nor destroyed.
11: Bodhi durlabh bhavna: It is very rare to attain bodhi which is samyak gyan, darshan and charitra (wisdom) which leads to enlightenment and liberation.
12: Dharma: To graduate from dharma dhyan (highest meditation) to shukla dhyan (abstract meditation) and nirvana (release from trans-migration).
Besides these , there is pramodh bhavna (appreciation), karuna bhavna (compassion), maitri bhavna (amity), madhyasth bhavna (equanimity).
Moreover uttaradhyan sutra 36th chapter, the last five verses mentions five more bhavnas which are negative in nature or which one should not bring into mind at the time of death.
They are as follows:
1: Kandarpa bhavna: He who by ribaldry and buffoonary, jokes, by jests and words, amuses other people are being in Kandarpa bhavna.
2: Abhiyogiki bhavna: Those who practice spells, incantations, besmear their body with ashes, pastes for the sake of future pleasure or power are being in abhiyogiki bhavna.
3: Kibisiyam: The man who is deceitful, who riviles the kevalis (asatna), the monks are being in kibisiyam bhavna.
4: Asuri bhavna: He who is continuously angry, unsatisfied, in disillusioned state are being in Asuri bhavna.
5: Moha bhavna: Those karmas which leads, the person to use weapons, eat poison, commits suicide by fire, water etc. and use things not prescribed and which results in being born and die again and again are being in moha bhavna.
To avoid these bhavnas, especially at the time of death and be in dharma dhyan and graduate to shukla dhyan.