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The Concept of Pañcasila in Indian Thought,
text it is said, "Just as you yourself hate suffering, all living being, in the whole universe hate suffering, and therefore one should respect, love and sympathize with all the living beings."? Compassion, pity or sympathy is included in the five characterestic signs of the very right attitude (Samyak. darśana) which is ‘anukampa."2 Various examples of this 'anukampa' can be cited from various sources which depict that it is not only abstention from violence but also the positive attitude of love or sympathy, which is to be regarded as equally moral and praiseworthy. Queen Dharani ate favourable food out of love and compassion for the child in the womb. Another very significant example of pity and compassion can be quoted which has been discussed in Jaina Purāņa literature. There is a story about the previous birth of the sixteenth Tirthankara Santinātha when he was King Megharatha.4 Once he was sitting in an assembly, all of a sudden a pigeon came trembling with fear and sat in his lap. In the meantime an eagle arrived and asked the king to return him his pigeon which was supposed to be his food; the king said, “The pigeon has taken refuge in me and I am supposed to defend him.” The eagle flared up and said, "I am dying of hunger and you are depriving me of my food, do not you know that this is immoral ?" The king kept quiet for a moment; on the one hand there was a question of
1. 5 a 7 fque che si fory Tła pod citatut I सव्वायरमुवउत्तो, अत्तोवमेण कुणसु दयं ।
-Ibid, Stanza 90. 2. Five stages of Samyaktva : Sama, Samvega, Nirveda,
Anukampā and Ästha. Dharmasamgraha, chap. 1. 3. तयेणं साधारणीदेवी तं सि अकाल दोहलंसि....गब्भस्स अणुकम्पणठ्याए
जयं चिट्ठई जयं आसई जयं सुवई आहारं पियणं ....गब्भं सुहं सुहेन
gefa I - Jõātā., chap. 1. 4. Purāṇasārasamgraha-Damanandi, Säntināthacarita,
chap. 5.
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