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Notes Bk. V
351
in a kārmana body even after the death of a being, and also because they live through successive generations of their progenies. Jivaghanas become paritta when they are compared to their succeeding generations. Time also becomes ananta and paritta according as jīvaghanas become ananta and paritta.
40. Mahāvīra propounded the religion of five vows. This was initially propounded by Rşa bha. During his time, śramana religion was thus based on five vows. But under the 22 Tirthankaras following him, śramana religion was based on four vows. The position has been explained on the ground that the monks during the tirthankarahood of Rşabha were simple and ignorant, and so they needed elaborate guidance for which the vows were five. During the days of Mahāvira, however, the monks had become crooked and crafty so that they needed rigorous tightening up in every detail for which the vows became five again. But under the-remaining 22 Tirthankaras, the monks. were simple and wise so that four vows sufficed.
The A cărānga makes a distinct reference to Mahāvira's religion of five vows. We have references to Pārsva's religion of four vows and Mahāvīra's religion of five Vows in the Uttaradhyayana Sūtra. Jacobi has given the following interpretation regarding the latter text :
"The argumentation in the text presupposes a decay of the morals of the monastic order to have occured between Parśva and Mahāvira and this is possible on the assumption of sufficient interval of time having elapsed between the last two Tirthankaras and this perfectly agrees with the common tradition that Mahāvīra came 250 years after Pārśva.”
Though Jacobi's interpretation of the significance of the addition of celibacy to the list of vows finds general acceptance, an alternative view is that Mahāvīra added nonpossession, and not celibacy. They attribute this addition to Mahāvira's going about the country without clothes. According to this school, Mahāvira felt that the ascetic could free himself from all desires only when he got rid of
