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Chapter 12
Pathological Impact on Environment of
Professions Prohibited by Jaina Acaryas
DAYANAND BHARGAVA
The fifteen trades forbidden in the Upasaka-dasah have been given an elaborate treatment by Haribhadra and Hemacandra amongst the Svetambaras and by Asadhara amongst the Digambaras, in medieval period. The sole underlying idea is avoidance of injury to animals, insects, plant-life and elemental life. Never did the idea occur to the Jaina Acaryas that most of these professions are potential health hazards for human being also because they involve pollution of environment in a big way, even though these acaryas were conscious of the eternal truth that harming others can never do good to the self. The modern scientific researches have, on the other hand, shown that most of the professions that involve violence of any kind involve pollution of environment also which results in generating diseases amongst human beings. The following chart makes it clear how a particular profession which has been prohibited by Jaina Acaryas produces a particular pollution in the environment and which, in turn, a particular sort of a pathological condition or disease.
Blessings to my eldest son, Shri Varun Bhargava, a student of MBBS (Final) for his cooperation in preparing this paper.
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