________________
Lord Mahavira and His Teachings
23
He immediately grasped the situation and had the courage to declare
न वि मुंडिएण समणो, न ओंकारेण बंभणो।।
न मुणी रण्णवासेणं, कुसचीरेण न तावसो॥ The external appearances are no test. What is really required is the mental purity and the behaviour which would lead to such mental purity and the consequent equanimity. Therefore,
समयाए समणो होइ, बंभघरेण बंभणो।
नाणेण य मुणी होइ, तवेण होइ तावसो॥ Otherwise fake ascetics would take the field. Hence the real brahmin should be
तवस्सियं किस दंत, अवचियमंससोणियं ।
सुव्वयं पत्तनिव्वणं तं वयं बूम माहणं ॥ It is the penance and celibacy that make a real brahmin. It is the ideal behaviour which implies non-attachment towards worldly matters that idealises a person.
जहां वोमं जले जाय नोवलिप्पइ वारिणा।
एवं अलित्तं कामेहि, तं वयं बूम माहणं ॥ Once this emphasis on actual behaviour, rather than mere sermons on it, was laid bare before the then somewhat demoralised society, Mahavira led this attack on the caste system. He had the courage to declare that
कम्मुणा बंभणो होइ, कम्मुणा होइ खत्तिओ।
कम्मुणा वइसो होइ, सुद्दो हवइ कम्मुणा ॥ .' It is the Karman and not the birth that determines. the social status of a person. These ideas were revolutionary ideas indeed! And the receptive
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
