World of Philosophy

SR No.: 007005
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 1002
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 30 MB

Page 495

ined it: all sorts of living beings may be slain, or subjected to violence, or abused, or tormented, or driven away. Know about this (i.e. these actions): there is no wrong in it.' That is the doctrine of a barbarian.
"Then there are (some) teachers who have said: You have wrongly seen, wrongly heard, wrongly acknowledged, wrongly understood, in the upper, nether, and sidelong directions, in all ways wrongly examined it, when you say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus: 'All sorts of living beings may be slain, or treated with violence, or abused, or tormented, or driven away. Know about this: there is no wrong in it. That is a doctrine of the unworthy. But we say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus : 'All kinds of living beings should not be slain, nor subjected to violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away. Know about this, there is no wrong in it.' This is the doctrine of a civilized person."
In another context, after referring to a friar who is civil, knows civil manners, and believes in civility, neither accepts impure food (the one involving violence/sin) nor does he make other to accept it, nor concurs with the act of one who accepts such food 10 :
से नातिए नाति आवए न समनुजानते। सव्वामगंधं परित्राय निरामगंध परिव्वए ॥ आचारांग २.५.८८
"Such a friar shuns all kinds of impurities (āmagandha) and moves around for getting food devoid of impurities (nīrämagandha).”
Since Vardhamāna, in this way, strongly advocates purity of food which does not involve violence and, by implication, includes strictly vegetarian and excludes non-vegetarian food. He arguably must be practicing what he was preaching.
This inference is indirectly endorsed by a statement in the hymn ‘Mahāvīra-stava' or 'Vira-stuti' praising Mahāvīra in the Sūtrakṛtānga, the hymn may be dated latest to the 3rd-2nd century B.C. There, it is said" :
से स्वदंसी अभिभूत नाणी निरामहंघे घिकिमं ठितप्पा। अनुत्तरे सव्वजगांसि विज्जं
गंधातीते अभए अनाऊ ॥ सूत्रकृतांग १.६.५ “He (Mahāvīra) perceives everything; his knowledge has gone beyond the four stages; hence he is omniscient; he is totally pure (sinless) in regard to his activities (nirāmagandhe) and is virtuous and stable."
The term nirāmagandha, figuring here, as in the Acārānga, it should be once more emphasized, also includes avoidance of non-vegetarian diet12.
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