Jaina Gazette 1928

SR No.: 034890
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office
Publication Year: 1928
Total Pages: 502
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

Page 477

20
THE JAINA GAZETTE
nected with gross and unnecessary injury of life, are likewise prohibited as being "abhakshya " i.e., uneatable. For the same reason, eating and drinking after sunset and before sunrise are interdicted. Intoxicating articles are to be avoided for reasons shown before. Besides these things which are, under all circumstances, forbidden for the Sravaka who takes this vow, there is, of course, no limit of things the use of which can be restricted or renounced. Thus, many a pious Sravaka will renounce, for life-time, tea, or some other delicacy, in which he is inclined to over-indulge, or any food that contains life, such as unboiled water, or uncut fruit, or even green vegetables in any form whatsoever, because their gathering and preparation includes more iniury than that of ripe fruit or grain, etc.
On the other hand, the Vratá under consideration, also puts a limit to the number of trades and professions which come into consideration for a pious Jain layman. There are fifteen so-called “Karmadanas,” i.e., professions, which a Sravaka who wants to keep the rules of Desa-Viraţi, should never embrace, such as charcoal-burning, letting out animals or vehicles, gardening, agriculture, trade with ivory, alcohol, poison, slaves, etc., oil-pressing, etc. This restriction is of great importance for social life, because it shows e.g., why there are so few Jain agriculturists, and why, on the other hand, the Jains of to-day are, nearly all, bankers, jewellers, dealers in cloth, corn, and similar. harmless goods, and why they use to look with a kind of contempt down on the tannors, shoe-makers, dyers, gardeners and representatives of various other trades more or less connected with injury.
The Third Guna-Vrata, or Anartha-Danda-Vrata, forbids certain barmful actions not included in the First Anu-Vrata, viz., 1. Cherisbing evil thoughts, 2. Indulging in alcoholic, sexual, and emotional inebriation, as well as in bad talk, or in defamation, 3. practising injury, and 4. giving suggestions concerning sinful actions to be done by others. This Vrata is of great practical import, because he who keeps it, cannot possess domestic animals, nor do agricultural nor gardenShree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat