Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study

Author(s): Nagaraj Muni
Publisher: Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers

Page 23

xxi
and save their life. In the end, they gratified their hunger and quenched their thirst by taking the flesh and drinking the blood of their deceased daughter and sister Suşamā and thereafter passing through a forest, they reached Rājagsha. In this ghastly act, they were not bothered about taste of the shaff. Their sole motive was to cross through the forest and reach Rājagrha. Citing the example of this story, Mahāvira said, 'In the same manner, a monk takes food not to improve the colour, appearance, strength or earthly objects, but only to attain the state of liberation.'[9]
According to the Puttamansasutta of Samyutta Nikāya[10] a couple killed their only son, ate his flesh and crossed through a forest. They used this flesh not for pride, intoxication, adoration or decoration, but simply to pass through the forest. In reviewing the story, Buddha said 'o bhikṣus! In the same manner a noble follower does not take food for pride, intoxication, etc. but simply to pass through this world which is a wilderness.'[11]
We have the following couplets in Manusmrti: [12] 8. For full details see śrutaskandha 1, A. 18.
Dhānenam satthavaheņam no vannaheum vā no rūvaheum vā no balaheum va no Visayaheum vā sumsumãe dāriyae mansas onie āhärie nannatha egae rayagiham sampāvanatthāyae evāmeva samaņāuso jo amham niggantho và nigganthi va imassa orāliy asarirassa vantāsavassa pittasavassa sukkasa vassa soniyasavassa java avassavippajahiyavvassa no vannaheum va no ruvaheum vā no balaheum va no visayahem va ahāram āhārei nannattha egāe siddhigamanasampāvanatthayāe
- Nāyadhammakahão, ed. N.B. Vaidya
p.214 10. Nidāna Vagga, Nidāna Samyutta, 2/12/63. 11. Tam kim mangjatha Bhikkhave api nu te devaya và aharam ahareyyum,
madaya vā ahāram ahāreyyum, mandanāya vā āhāram ahāreyyum vibhūsanaya va ahāram āhäreyyum ti? no hetam, ante nanu te bhikhve yāva deva kantārassa nitth aranatthāya aharam àhareyyum ti? evam bhante evameva khvāham bhikkhave kabalikāro ahāro datthabbo ti vadāmi kabalikāre bhikkhave āhāre pariññjate pañcakāmaguņiko rāgo pariñnjato hoti. parijcakamagunika rāge parinnjate jatthi tam samyojanam yena samyojanena samyutte ariyasāvako puna imam lokam āgacheryya.
- Samyukta Nikāya Pali ed. Bhiksu Jagadisakassapo, p. 84 12. A 10, S. 104, 105.