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Jaina monachism in which a separate and systematic code of conduct for the bhikṣus and bhikṣunīs is prescribed. The antiquity of these treatises can also go upto the pre-Cāņakyan period. The third stage is seen - (i) in the Ardhamāgadhi chedasūtras (viz. Niśītha, Kalpa, Vyavahāra) (ii) in the niryuktis, and bhāsyas on mülasūtras and (iii) in the Saurasenī texts like Mūlācāra, Bhagavatī Ārādhanā and Kundakunda's literature. Some of the texts of the third stage are contemporary to Cāņkya and some are written in the post-Cāņakyam period. The code of conduct prescribed for the bhikṣus and bhikṣunīs at this stage is nicely carved out and is accomplished with the rules and transgressions. The punishments are provided in the form of various atonements (prāyaścittas). Chedasūtrakāra Bhadrabāhu is closely connected to the history of Candragupta and Cāņakya.
Thus, this is an interesting task to re-interprete the Jaina monachism with the help of the commentarial literature of Ācārānga, Uttarādhyayana, Daśavaikālika and Niśītha. The sādhu-ācāra is presented in the Saurasenī texts in the form of mūlaguņas and uttaraguņas while Ardhamāgadhī scriptures consider it under the five mahāvratas, five samitis, three guptis and tenfold dharmas. It is impossible to explore each and every detail of the sādhu-ācāra in the light of the the Kauțilīya Arthaśāstra. An attempt has been made here to highlight the impact of the Arthaśāstra on the Jaina sādhu-ācāra with few important examples and observations.
We can enumerate at least thirty references in the Arthaśāstra where the ascetic class is mentioned by using the terms like bhikṣu, sādhu, parivrājaka, siddha, tāpasa, kşapaņaka, saṁnyāsī, pāşandi etc. Some of them are mentioned by Kautilya as āśrama-vāsins (i.e. residing at one place) and caras or parivrājakas (i.e. wandering from
