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49)
Albrecht Werler
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"A Slap on the Face of the Brahmins"
491
find themselves ostracized.
The author concludes his work by giving, in three verscs, the last two of which are significantly composed in a more complicated metre (Malini), the following remarkable advice (which is practically tantamount to directions for the use of the Vedānkuća): 18
above), but also to related questions, such as tirthasnana, etc., as an alleged means of gaining merit, or the killing of animals in sacrifice. These kind of brahmanical teachings' which are, of course, absolutely anathematic to a Jaina, are, as one might expect, dwelt on: attention is drawn to kāmamithyācārāgamyāgamanapratipădikāni and additādānapratipādikāni vacanani, to mrşāvādasamsūcakam vacanam and madyapānapratipädikani vacanäni, but now the author quotes from Vedic texts, too. But there still remains something further which is even more improper, in the view of the Jain author, than having unlawful sexual intercourse, taking of what is not given, lying or drinking alcoholic beverages (practices which the reader is given to understand are recommended by, approved of or habitually indulged in by the Brahmins), and this aparan viruddhataram, as it is called, is the irreconcilable contradiction belween what is taught in the brahmanical sources about the proper way of dealing with Sūdras and the actual practice of Brahmins as it can be observed in everyday life. And it is obviously not only the author's own experience, but also what he considered to be common knowledge, which prompts him to almost exclaim (35a. 11.): sarvam etac chudrapratigrahadikam anushiyate (one feels tempted to add an eva here), na kimcid brälumunena parityaktam/ tasmat parhamatram eva kevalam iti viruddhavacanam bhavari. The topic of complete discrepancy between ideal and reality, norm and adherence to it is then pursued further, viz. to Manusmrti 4.61:17 "Let him not dwell in a country where the rulers are Sülias, nor in one which is surrounded by unrighteous men, nor in one which has become subject to heretics, nor in one swarming with men of the lowest castes" (Bühler's translation), upon which the author of the Vedānkusa comments thus (35b. 13): tad evam viruddhavacanena sakalaprthivyām apy avasthanan nästīti pratipāditam, "and in this way, what is conveyed by this statement which is at variance with reality, is that there is not a single place on the whole earth where a Brahmin could live!"
The argument of the second part of the Vedānkuša is finally wound up by arriving at the conclusion (35b. 13.): kim bahuna? anena prakārena caturnām varņānām madhye bahişkstā brāhmana ity avasiyate, "in short, what is clearly discerned in this manner is that the Brahmins amongst the four varnas are excluded from the society in general]". Thus the tables are finally lumed and it is now the Brahmins, and not any longer the Jain monks, who
brahmanotkarşavadenātmānam yah pratipadyate (recte: opadyate) / sa vaktavyah sada sadbhir vedayuktaih subhasitaih // dvijavadanacapelām nyāyalattvesu mudrām/ śrutipadakstamātrāśrenibhangaikadakşam // dvijasadasi nişano yah samutkarpatīmām/ kşanabhapi (recte: ksanam api) na purastat tasya tisthanti viprah II. A man who considers himself superior to others by referring to the eminence of the Brahmins can be and is to be rebuked and put in his place by good people with the help of witly sayings together with stalements of the Veda. The Brahmins do not stand even for a moment in front of a man li.c. flee as soon as possible from a man) who seals himself on a Brahmin's place and (then) gives him a slap on the face which consists of not mincing one's words with regard to the truth according to rational thought, (a slap) which is uniquely fit for: which alone is able to destroy the sequence of syllable instants (?) produced by the words of the Vodic texts.
And thus at the very end of the work it becomes entirely clear that the "slap on the face" is not, of course, to be taken literally, and also that the title Vedänkuša itself is not only metaphorical, but cannot but be a karmadharaya compound meaning "a goad in the form of Vedic utterances." And, to be sure, like a real goad, this special one in the hands of a Jain or a Jain monk) is also considered as being used only to urge on the elephant-like Brahmins so that they avoid the wrong path (kupatha, etc.), return to the right one (sanmärga, etc.) and thus in their tum also reach the final goal (but, of course, alone, i.e. without their 'mahout').
2. In the colophon it is stated, immediately after that part which has already been quoted above (p. 2), that "Uhis is a work of Hemacandrasüri" (krtir iyan Hemacandrasurinā). And it is obviously this assertion on which