Agam 44 Chulika 01 Nandi Sutra English Translation

Author(s): Dipratnasagar, Deepratnasagar
Publisher: Deepratnasagar

Page 6

NandiSootra
PRAISE OF THE SANGH-CITY
[004] MEANING -May the city-like sangh (religious organization) which has forgiveness and other virtues as its rows of gorgeous houses, which is abundant with scriptural knowledge as its valuable gems, which is crisscrossed by samyaktva (a specific state of righteousness where right perception and right knowledge start translating into right conduct) as its clean streets and which is protected by purity of conduct (observation of five great vows) as its impart, ameliorate you.
PRAISE OF THE SANGH-WHEEL (1905)
[005] MEANING -Obeisance to the wheel like sangh which has discipline as its hub, which has twelve austerities as its spokes and which has samyaktva as its radiant rim. May the unique wheel like sangh that is invincible to any opposition always be victorious? This disc-weapon-like sangh cuts the bonds of rebirth.
COMMENTARY -A wheel or a circular form is eternally associated with motion. The motion of a vehicle also depends on its wheel (circular shape or a disc). As such a carrier is also allegorically called wheel or disc or chakra. Sangh or the religious organization is the carrier of the abstract and applied components of religion. It also overpowers obstacles and so it is called a weapon as well.
As he owns the divine chakra (disc-weapon), an emperor who conquers the six continents is called a Chakravarti. In the same way Vasudev, the conqueror of three continents, is called Ardhachakravarti (half of the former). There are no disturbances in the proximity of the divine chakra. The ideal of beneficence of all that is inherent to the Sangh is the main reason for attributing the glory of Chakra to it.
The hub of the disc like Sangh is discipline or samyam. There are seventeen types of samyam - five ashrav-viraman (avoidance of inflow of karmas), disciplining of five senses, subduing the four passions and refraining from indulgence in evil through mind, speech and body.
This sangh-chakra has twelve-type austerity, such as observing fasts, as its spokes. The rim or circumference defined by the twelve spokes of austerity with discipline as the center is known as samyaktva. Here the three vital essential constituents of the wheel-like sangh have been defined.
PRAISE OF THE SANGH-CHARIOT(Herre)
[006] MEANING -The Sangh is like a gorgeous chariot that has celibacy and self-denial as its high furling flags, and austerity and discipline as its two fast horses. May the god-like sangh-chariot that reverberates with the sound of gong of self-study (five pronged) ameliorate all.
PRAISE OF THE SANGH-LOTUS (ET)
f007& 8] MEANING -How beautiful is this sangh-lotus! It rises above the slime and water that is karma, which is joined with the long tubular stalk that is scriptural knowledge, which has five stable stamens that are great-vows filled with pollen that are virtues and over which hum bumble-bees that are learned shravaks. May the enchanting sangh-lotus, which is in bloom always due to the rays of the sun that is Arihant Bhagavan and has a thousand petals that are shramans (ascetics), ameliorate all?
PRAISE OF THE SANGH-MOON ( 15)
[009] MEANING -The sangh is like the pure white moon. This sangh-moon has antelope like signs of austerity and discipline. The eclipse of falsehood can
Aagam- 44 -NandiSootra
6
Compiled by- Deepratnasagar