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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
ion, the costly garments and other articles of value distributed by the Seth, and the jubilations of the delighted populace, including even its Mohammedan element47. A picture indeed which it is difficult to imagine, when looking on the fields of ruins which are today's Mandu ! Acceptance of the twelve vows :
The first action to which his Guru's presence inspired Jāvada, was the adoption of the 12 laymen-vows4% which in the eyes of his biographer, place him in a line with the great Śrāvakas of the past : King Sreņika, Emperor Samprati, the kings Kumārapāla and Āma, and Seth Sālibhadra“.
The first five among those twelve vows are grouped together as Aņuvratas, being relaxed versions of the five Mahāvratas of the ascetics. The first vow, that of Ahiṁsā, as well as the second, that of Truthfulness, was adopted by Jāvada in the conventional form. So was the third, that of non-stealing, but with the additional relaxation of merely promising carefulness in the removal of pests50 ( which obviously are acknowledged as the legitimate 'proprietors' of whatever substance they are found in ).
Under the fourth vow, that of Chastity, Jāvada, promising conjugal fidelity, reserved to himself the right of possessing 32 women, doubtlessly in imitation of the example of the justmentioned Śālibhadra, who is said to have had this very number of consorts, only with the difference that he left them all to become a monk. According to the sources, Jāvada had in fact four regular wives, whose names are handed down. The rest could have been concubines, in conformity with ancient Rājpūta custom, which was still in vogue, even in Jaina families of Rājpūta origin, a few generations back.
By the fifth vow, that of non-attachment, which demands limitation of one's property, fixed in regard to number or quantity for life-time, Jāvada reserved to himself, in this order, the possession of 1,00,000 mounds of grain; 1,00,000 mounds of ghi and oil;
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