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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
comprises of twenty-eight morsels. Each morsel should contain food as much as a hen's egg in size and so big to place in the mouth conveniently without opening the mouth more than done in usual course. This underfeeding maintains alertness of mind to facilitate --religious studies, contemplation and maintenance of celebacy Over-eating is detrimental to health as well as to spiritual progress. On this point some authority has laid down “one should apply Trifala to the eyes, salt to the teeth and should not fill the belly to the brim to keep up good health". Over-feeding oneself on the day of partial fasting or Ayambil—infringes the penance of "unodarika". Every penance should be observed with partially filled belly. Even on breaking the fast one should be very moderate in eating.
3. Curtailing Necessary Food (Vrutti-Sankshepa) : That is ‘Vrutti' which maintains the thread of life. Food and water are essential for living. Imposing restrictions on consuming water and food in view of kind, place, time and condition is known as 'Abhigraha' (insistence). Insisting only on accepting a particular kind of food is called (Dravyasankshepa). Insisting only on accepting food from one or two houses or from a particular period of a day is known as Kala-Sankshepa. Normally a monk has to accept food in the mid-hour of the day and so when he insists on accepting food either in the morning or afternoon then the vow of Kala-Sankshepa is said to have been observed. When it is insisted by a monk that he would accept only from a person in a particular condition then the vow of Bhava-Sankshepa is said to have been observed. Even in these spiritually declining present times, the monks do entertain such vows. It is not easy to fulfil the conditions laying down that 'an elephant should offer sweet-ball' or 'mother, daughter and son's wife' all the three should offer food simultaneously. It is very difficult to fulfil such conditions.
4. Abandoning Juicy Eatables : (Rasa-Tyaga) : Honey, wine, meat and butter are the major juicy or semi-liquid substances which are strictly prohibited for the souls aspiring for salvation. The vow of Rasa-Tyaga arises when the rest six juicy or semiliquid substances, viz., milk, curds, clarified butter (Ghee) oil and jaggery are abandoned. Even if one or some of the above mentioned substances are abandoned then also this 'Vow' is maintained though of inferior grade. 'Ayambil Vow is a prominent penance wherein this 'Vow' is well observed.
