Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thaought

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 68

Non-Violence
These are thus the manifold aspects of the Jaina doctrines of which non-violence is the basis; moreover it is the root of all other vratas of the Jaina ethics. No other ritual or vrata like veracity, non-stealing or celibacy is meaningful if it is in contradiction with non-violence.1
Before passing to the actual vrata (vow) of non-violence, it would be more systematic to deal with what violence actually is. For this purpose it is necessary to deal with the analytical classifications of violence. Analysis and classification is the speciality of the Jaina system which depicts the acuteness, accuracy and alertness of the Jaina thinkers in dealing with the fundamental concepts regarding their own conduct as well as of others. In one Jaina text himsa is classified into one hundred and eight types which are further classified into four hundred and thirty two types.
To start with, himsa is classified according to various stages of committal of an act of violence. These stages are three; firstly, 'samrambha', i. e. intention to commit an act of violence, secondly, 'samārambha', the stage of preparation for committing an act of violence. Lastly, 'arambha', the stage of actually commiting a preplanned act of violence. Each of these three stages is divided into three types. These are: (i) to commit an act of violence onself, (ii) to order somebody else to do it, and (iii) to appreciate or approve an act of violence done by someone else. Each of these nine types is further divided in accordance with the three instruments of mind, speech and body; these are twenty seven in all. These twenty
seven varieties are sub-divided in accordance with the differences in the motives of the person; the motives are anger, conceit, crookedness and greed. In this way violence is divided
1. तपः श्रुतयमज्ञानध्यानदानादि कर्मणां ।
सत्यशीलवतादीनामहिंसा जननीमता ॥ -Jñānārṇava, 8.41.
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2. Sarvärthasiddhi, 6.8.