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Bhagavai 7:2:29-35
tranquil meditation. Lord Mahāvīra was the foremost among those who have taught the ‘art of dying'.
Samlekhanā is the spiritual practice to free oneself from the fear of death. Lord Mahāvīra revealed to the spiritual practitioner (or the follower of religion) the mantra of eschewing fear of death and cultivating moral strength. Samlekhanā paves the way for attainment of perfection of that mantra. Samlekhanā is a subsidiary virtue. It is related to both the partial and the complete subsidiary virtues. With respect to a lay-follower, it is a partial subsidiary virtues.13
For the systematic procedure of Samlekhanā, see notes on Ayāro, 8/8/1-3 and Uttarajjhayanāni 30/12-13.
The five anuvratas have been shown to be partial fundamental virtues. The remaining seven vows have been characterized as partial subsidiary virtues. In the Tattvārtha Bhāsya, the expression uttaravrata has been used for the seven vows, in place of uttaraguna.14 We do not find the mention of uttaraguna and uttaravrata anywhere else.
In the Uvāsagadasāo, the mention of five anuvratas has been followed by the prescription of anarthadanda (renunciation of the act of wanton destruction of environment).' In the same text, in the section on the transgression, the sequence is as follows-the fifth anuvrata, viz., the vow of 'limitation of desire for possession is followed by the digvrata (sixth vow), upabhoga-paribhoga-parimāna (seventh vow), anarthadanda-viramana (eighth vow), sāmāyika (ninth vow), deśāvakäsika (tenth vow), pausadhopavāsa (eleventh vow) and yathāsamvibhāga (twelfth vow) respectively. 16 These twelve vows are followed by the mention of the practice of the māranāntika samlekhanā—the performance of emaciation of passions by a course of fasting unto death."
In the Uvāsagadasāo, there is no mention of the division of the 12 vratas as the mūlaguna and uttaraguna. Instead, there are the following two divisions of 12 vratas are available: five anuvratas and seven śikṣāvratas-supplementary vows. In the Avasyaka Cūrņi, there are, however, three divisions of layman's vows: five anuvratas, three gunavratas (the strengtheners (vows) of the virtues of the five anuvratas) and four sikṣāvratas (supplementary vows). Thus, the seven supplementary vows mentioned in Uvāsagadasāo are divided into two parts in Avaśyaka Cūrņi—three gunavratas (for promoting the efficacy of the anuvratas and four siksāvratas (the vows meant for regular practise or training).
It appears that the division into gunavratas (the strengtheners (vows) of the virtues of the five anuvratas) and siksāvratas (supplementary vows) which is not found in T.Bh in the post-Tattvārtha Sūtra period. It is mentioned only by the commentator Siddhasenaganī. 18 In the Sarvārthasiddhi and the Bhagavati Arādhanā also three gunavratas (the strengtheners (vows) of the virtues of the five anuvratas) 19 and four sikşāvratas (supplementary vows) are found mentioned, but the order of the vratas is different there. According to them, digvrata, deśāvakāśika and anarthadandaviramana are gunavratas (the strengtheners (vows) of the virtues of the five anuvratas). According to Siddhasenagaṇī, the gunavratas are digvrata,
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