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Lord Mahavira and His Teachings
29
the word 3tqafimy of Acharanga means that Lord Mahavira acted according to law and so the Commentators are right in explaining it as the traditional conduct.
While explaining the word anudhammiya Silanka the commentator of Acharanga says:अनुपश्चाद्धार्मिकम् अनुधार्मिकम् अपरैरपि तीर्थकृद्भिः समाचीर्णमित्यर्थः। तथा चागमः-से बेमि-जे य अईया जे य पहुपन्ना जे य आगमेस्सा अरहंता भगवंता जे य पञ्चयन्ति जे य पन्चइसन्ति सम्बे ते सोवहिधम्मो देसिअन्वोत्ति कट्ट तिथ्थधामयाए एसा अगुधम्मियत्ति एगं देवदूसमायाए पब्वइंसु वा पव्वयंति वा पन्वइस्सन्ति व ति । अपि च -
गरीयस्त्वात् सचेलस्य धर्मस्यान्यैस्तथागतैः। शिष्यस्य प्रत्ययाच्चैव वस्त्रं दधे न लजया॥
Here it is clear that the word अनुधार्मिक means the traditional conduct. It is clearly said in the text that Mahavira - had a cloth, but it was not used for the covering of his body. So the question is : then why did he keep the cloth with him? The answer is given by the word 'अनुधार्मिक' i.e. in keeping a cloth he only followed a tradition. And what was that tradition? The commentator has quoted an Agama which means that it is a tradition that every tirthankara keeps a devadusa-devadushya at the time of his pravrajya. It is clear that though it was of no use to him still he kept it only to follow a tradition.
... We know from the Buddhist text Mahavagga
(1.1.12) that it was customary for a novice to keep · uttariya on his skandha at the time of pravrajya. It
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