Jaina Community a Social Survey

SR No.: 007019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Popular Book Depot Bombay
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 484
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 93

Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
class. No class has been despised. The actions alone lead to good prosperity. Gods regard a Chändāla, i. e., an outcast, as a Brāhmaṇa if he follows religious mode of life. The epithets ou classes and Chāņdāla which are applied to mankind are famous in this world due to the difference in their ways of life.
Acharya Amitagati attaches no importance to birth and considers one's mode of life as the determinant of one's class.
आचारमात्रभेदेन जातीनां भेदकल्पनम् । न जातिर्ब्राह्मणस्यास्ति नियता क्वापि तात्त्विकी ॥ ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियादीनां चतुर्णामपि तत्त्वतः । एकैव मानुषी जातिराचारेण विभज्यते ॥ शीलवन्तो गताः स्वर्ग नीचजातिभवा अपि । कुलीना नरकं प्राप्ताः शीलसंयमनाशिनः ॥ गुणैः संपद्यते जातिगुणध्वंसैविपद्यते। । यतस्ततो बुधैः कार्यों गुणेष्वेवादरः परः ॥ जातिमात्रमदः कार्यों न नीचत्वप्रवेशकः ।
उच्चत्वदायकः सद्भिः कार्यः शीलसमादरः॥ The idea of differentiation of classes comes in only because of differences in the ways of life. No single class has been settled as that of the true or real Brahmin class. Really there is only one class of four divisions, viz., Brāhmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sūdras and that is the class of human beings. They have been divided because of differences in the ways of life. People of good conduct had attained heaven even though they were born in low families and on the contrary men devoid of good conduct and restraint had gone to hell in spite of the fact that they had taken birth in high families. A class is formed by following a particular mode of life and it perishes when that mode is left and that is why wise people should respect ways of life only. The good people should not have pride in any class as it leads to degradation but they should observe good conduct which might give them high position.
It is clear that the Jaina religion as such is not concerned in dividing the society into classes. The division was effected by the people with a view to facilitate their living:11 The classes were not hereditary but they were based on the ways of life. It naturally follows that as a class is composed of persons observing a particular mode of life, if that mode is changed å person has automatically