Early Jainism

SR No.: 001520
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1978
Total Pages: 120
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & Philosophy
File Size: 7 MB

Page 23

14
Early Jainism
cremation-ground,. a quarter lying vacant, a mountain-cave, the root of a tree, a potter's quarter. Coarse quarters sought for shelter by Mahavira are described (34.21), his coarse bedding and seating are spoken of (35.21). Cumulative evidence of several passages (26 26,29.13,30.13,31.14) suggests that in the case of sickness reduced diet was the first recommendation, and in the case of sickness proving incurable a fast unto death. About Mahavira we are told (36.14) that he would live on reduced diet even when not sick and that he would never take medicine when sick.
3.
Even a cursory glance at the contents of the text would reveal that it only too frequently condemus violence and acquisitiveness (the former usually under the designation arambha, the latter under the designation parigraha but also using other designations for both). There are also passages (eg. 12.5,12.22) where both are condemned at one place; most conspicuous in this connection is the sustained discussion occuring in 5.1-3 where arambha, anarambha, parigraha and aparigrata are treated of in this very order. In view of the fact that the couple parigraha and arambha is roughly parallel to the couple raga and dveşa let it also be noted that the triplet preyas, doșa, moha-parallel to the triplet rūga, dveșa, moha of the Brahmins and the triplet lobha, devşa, moha of the Buddhist-also makes its appearance once (14.15) in a rather stray fashion.
4.
A most detailed discussion of the problem of parigraha occurs in chapter 2, but the mention of an animate (cittavat) and an inanimate (acittavat) object of parigraha occurs in the discussion of that chapter 5. (18.23). In chapter 2 the whole case is put most vigorously and in a nutshel la two passages viz. 7.17-25, and 5.15-20,25-28. The first runs roughly as follows: "He takes hold of the cattle-wealth and the slave-wealth and cmploying the two accumulates riches when these rickes have been accu. mulated in a big mass it might just happen that the relations divide them into shares, a thief steals them away, the kings carry them off, they just perish, or they burn down in fire. Thus it is that these riches prove to be meant for others. The fool has undertaken cruel acts and as a result he finds himself in a state of fall" The second runs roughly as follows : "Here is my mother, father, brother, sister, wife, sons, daughters, daugher-in-law, freinds and relatives, here are my material goods'-thus is the common man entangled. He is in fury day and night, busy in time and out of time, greedy for riches, he undertakes violent acts again and again. ....And then one day it might just happen that the peopic with whom he lives speak ill of him first and he speaks ill of them in return. Certainly,