Jaina Ethics

SR No.: 001334
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 314
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Principle
File Size: 15 MB

Page 160

The Conduct of a Householder
143
The Mūlagunas are also attached to darśanapratima; and Somadeva calls this pratimă as mūlavrata. Samantabhadra and jinasena include five small vows in mūlaguņas whereas Somadeva does not. Vasunandin follows the middle path by saying that a Śrāvaka should renounce seven vyasanas in this pratimā,1 as these seven vyasanas indirectly include four out of five sins, viz. violence, falsehood, stealing and unchastity.
2. Vratapratimā :
Samantabhadra 2 and other Digambarācāryas think that in this stage, a śrāvaka should observe the twelve vratas mentioned in this chapter. 3-4. Sāmāyika and Proşadhapratimā :
It may be noted that sāmāyika and prosadhopavāsa are enjoined as separate pratimās, whereas they are included in the second pratima also. Āsādhara tries to explain this position by saying that sâmāyika and proşadhopavāsa as śikṣāvrata are meant for safeguarding the five anuvratas and, therefore, occupy only a subservient position, whereas in pratimās they assume the position of an independent vrata.3 Vasunandin had perhaps this duplication in his mind when he excluded sāmāyika and proșadhopavāsa from the list of sikşāvratas and represented them as pratimās only. Kundakunda and Kārtikeya, on the other hand, have preferred to enumerate them, both as pratimās and fiksāuratas, perhaps to show their importance for spiritual progress. We have already dealt with Sāmāyika and proșadhopavāsa while dealing with sikşāvratas. 5. Sacittalyāga pratinā
This pratinā consists in abandoning the use of animate articles like roots, fruits, seeds, etc. without getting them sterilized by boiling etc.4 The Srāvaka in this pratimā is required not to feed others by such objects as he himself has renounced.5
1. Vasunandi-śrāvakācāra, 57. 2. Ratnakarandaśrāvakācāra, 138. 3. Sāgāradharmāmsta, 7.6. 4. Kārtikeyānupreksā, 379. 5. Ibid., 380.