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There are four types of श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ who consume the four types of faults: अतिक्रम, व्यतिक्रम, अतिचार and अनाचार, which are both manifest and concealed.
1. Some श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ consume these faults openly, without concealing them.
2. Some श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ consume these faults in a concealed manner, without revealing them.
3. Some श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ consume these faults both openly and in a concealed manner.
4. Some श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ do not consume these faults either openly or in a concealed manner.
Those who fall under the first category are श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ who are not disciplined, are undisciplined, free-willed, deceitful, and shameless. They are not afraid of sin and therefore consume faults openly.
Those who fall under the second category are of two types:
* श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ with a clear understanding, if they occasionally consume these faults, they do so in a concealed manner. This is because they consume faults due to their own weakness, and they think that if others see them consuming faults, they will also consume faults. Therefore, they consume faults in a concealed manner.
* श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ with a unclear understanding, who are deceitful, do not consume these faults openly out of fear of public shame or out of the desire to maintain the faith of the devotees in them. Instead, they consume them in secret.
Those who fall under the third category are श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ who are deceitful in nature. They consume ordinary faults openly, but they consume powerful faults in a concealed manner. If someone sees them consuming ordinary faults, they say, "Ordinary faults are common to everyone in this world. Therefore, it is impossible to avoid these faults."
Those who fall under the fourth category are श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ who are truly detached, seekers of liberation, and devoted to self-study. Therefore, they do not consume these faults either openly or in a concealed manner.
The प्रायश्चित्त-विधान (penance) prescribed in the व्यवहारसूत्र (practical rules) is for the purification of the faults consumed by the first three categories of श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ. The last category of श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ are the keepers of the निरतिचार चारित्र (faultless conduct), and therefore there is no provision for any kind of penance for them.
The व्यवहारशुद्धि (purification of conduct) is both difficult and easy. In the धर्मशासन (religious teachings) of the first Tirthankara, Bhagwan ऋषभदेव आदिनाथ, श्रमण-श्रमणियाँ were mostly straightforward and simple, but they were also dull (with limited intellectual development). Therefore, they were unable to fully understand and follow the समाचारी (conduct) prescribed in the sūtras (texts). This was the only reason why their व्यवहारशुद्धि was difficult to achieve.