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A king should not accept *rajapinda* (royal food) even if it is offered by his ministers, priests, merchants, and caravan leaders. There is no such rule for other kings. If there is a possibility of fault, then it should not be accepted, but if it is innocent, then it can be accepted.
*Rajapinda* refers to royal food. Royal food is delicious, sweet, and intoxicating, which can increase the desire for taste. Such delicious food is not readily available everywhere. Therefore, to prevent a monk from becoming a gourmand and consuming unacceptable food, *rajapinda* is prohibited. The essence of this rule is the purity of desire. If someone forgets this rule and accepts or uses *rajapinda*, then the monk has to undergo a four-month penance.
There are other reasons behind the prohibition of *rajapinda*, which are mentioned in the *Nishithabhashya* and *Chuni*. In the royal palace, there is often a lot of movement of commanders and others. Sometimes, due to haste or other reasons, the monk may get injured or his bowl may break. These are also considered bad omens, so *rajapinda* is considered unacceptable.
The prohibition of *rajapinda* applies only to the monks of Lord Mahavira and Rishabhdeva, not to the monks of the twenty-two Tirthankaras. *Rajapinda* includes four types of food, clothing, bowls, blankets, and cleaning materials - these eight items are considered unacceptable. The ninth *uddeshaka* (chapter) has 25 sutras (aphorisms) on which a commentary has been written in 2496-2605 verses. This *uddeshaka* also prohibits the acceptance of *rajapinda*.
A monk should not enter the king's inner quarters. The commentator has mentioned three types of inner quarters: *jirna antahpur* (old inner quarters), *nava antahpur* (new inner quarters), and *kanya antahpur* (women's inner quarters). There were beautiful women in the inner quarters. The king tried to make the inner quarters as rich and beautiful as possible. Kautilya, in his *Arthashastra*, has laid down the rule that women and eunuchs should be deployed to protect the inner quarters. No one except relatives or servants was allowed to enter the inner quarters. The king guarded the inner quarters with utmost care. It was natural for the king to have suspicions if a monk entered the inner quarters, so monks were prohibited from entering the inner quarters.
A monk should not enter the inner quarters himself, but it is also forbidden to receive and accept food etc. from the woman who is appointed at the gate of the inner quarters. It is forbidden to accept food etc. from the king's gatekeepers, other attendants, soldiers, slaves, maids, for horses and elephants, for travelers in the forest, for people suffering from famine and drought, and for poor people.