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________________ PUNISHMENT. 39 not sitting motionless, can purify a mortal who has not overcome desires. 142. He who, though dressed in fine apparel, exercises tranquillity, is quiet, subdued, restrained, chaste, and has ceased to find fault with all other beings, he indeed is a Brâhmana, an ascetic (sramana), a friar (bhikshu). 143. Is there in this world any man so restrained by humility that he does not mind reproof, as a well-trained horse the whip? 144. Like a well-trained horse when touched by rejected on other grounds too, if we may judge from the Sumagadhâ-avadâna : 'A number of naked friars were assembled in the house of the daughter of Anâtha-pindika. She called her daughterin-law, Sumagadhâ, and said, “Go and see those highly respectable persons." Sumagadhâ, expecting to see some of the saints, like Sâriputra, Maudgalyâyana, and others, ran out full of joy. But when she saw these friars with their hair like pigeon wings, covered by nothing but dirt, offensive, and looking like demons, she became sad. “Why are you sad?” said her mother-in-law. Sumâgadhâ replied, “O mother, if these are saints, what must sinners be like?”.. Burnouf (Introduction, p. 312) supposed that the Gainas only, and not the Buddhists, allowed nakedness. But the Gainas, too, do not allow it universally. They are divided into two parties, the Svetambaras and Digambaras. The Svetambaras, clad in white, are the followers of Parsvanatha, and wear clothes. The Digambaras, i. e. sky-clad, disrobed, are followers of Mahâvîra, resident chiefly in Southern India. At present they, too, wear clothing, but not when eating. See Sâstram Aiyar, p. xxi. The gatâ, or the hair platted and gathered up in a knot, was a sign of a Saiva ascetic. The sitting motionless is one of the postures assumed by ascetics. Clough explains ukkutika as 'the act of sitting on the heels;' Wilson gives for utkalukâsana, sitting on the hams.' See Fausböll, note on verse 140. 142. As to dandanidhâna, see Mahâbh. XII, 6559, and Suttanipata, v. 34. 143, 144. I am very doubtful as to the real meaning of these verses. If their object is to show how reproof or punishment Digitized by Google
SR No.007674
Book TitleDhammapada
Original Sutra AuthorN/A
AuthorMax Muller
PublisherOxford
Publication Year1881
Total Pages2540
LanguageEnglish
ClassificationBook_English
File Size45 MB
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