Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 1994
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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in the Sănkhya philosophy. He conducted teaching and propounding the Tenfold religion of asceticism based on purity. He wore red garments, carried a trident in his hand as also a water pot and a parasol and a ring of kusa grass and a duster. Many people of the town listened to the preachings of Suka and Sudarsana the rich merchant, was impressed by the Sānkhya doctrine. Suka explained to Sudarsana how his religious approach was keen on purity, material purity as well as mental purity; water and earth ensured material purity whereas darbha grass and holy incantations ensured mental purity. He further explained that any impure object could be made pure when it was besmeared with a specially prepared clay and washed in pure water. This kind of purity, Suka felt, was the surest gateway to heaven. Sudarsana accepted Suka's religion based on purity. Soon after Suka left the place, Sthāpatyāputra arrived there and Sudarsana attended his discourses as well. He asked the monk to explain to him the fundamentals of his religion. Sthāpatyāputra said that the basis of his religion was discipline. Discipline for householders and discipline for monks. The householders, who observed the Five Minor Vows, Seven Disciplinary Vows and Elevan Standards became lay devotees. The monks observed more strenuous discipline prescribed by the Five Great Vows, total abstinence from all injuries to living beings, total abstinence from all falsehood, from taking what was not given, from any form of possession, from eating at night and from sexual intercourse. There were then ten other renunciations and twelve monastic standards. This religion, Sthapathyāputra explained, was based on discipline, gradually annihilated the eight types of karma leading the devotee to final salvation. Sudarsana informed the monk that the religion to which he belonged was based on purity. The monk raised a doubt. He asked him, "O Sudarsana, suppose a man washes with blood a piece of cloth that is already blood-stained, will it be clean ?" Sudarsana replied that it was not likely. Sthāpatyäputra continued, "Even so Sudarsana" there is no possibility of purifying yourself by means of injury to living beings etc. If you want to wash a blood-stained cloth, you have to make use of some effective cleansing material, boil it in water and wash it with pure water, then