Concept of Pratikramana

Author(s): Nagin J Shah, Madhu Sen
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

Page 5

PREFACE1
Pratikramana occupies a very important place in Jaina society. In Vedic society Brahmins enjoyed the fore-most place. For them six essential acts viz. study (adhyayana), teaching (adhyāpana), performance of sacrifice (yajana), officiating at sacrifice (yājana), giving in charity (dāna) and acceptance of gifts/donations and thereby doing favour to a donor (partigraha), were prescribed. In the beginning there was no established practice of any essential act in the Jaina Path. But when Jaina society became gradually organised, there was felt the necessity of the establishment of the practice of essential acts. Therefore, it is not ganadharas (the direct principal disciples of Lord Mahāvīra) but some sthavira (an elder Jaina monk) flourishing after them that conceived the six essential acts for Jaina monks and dealt with them in the
Avaśyakasūtra. The Pratikramaṇa, an essential act, dealt with in the fourth chapter of the Avasyakasūtra, called Pratikramaṇa Adhyayana, being very important, the term pratikramaṇa came to be used as a common name for all the six essential acts. Thus all the six essential acts came to be known by the name pratikramaņa.
From times immemorial, our soul has given up its original pure nature and assumed perverted impure nature. The process of bringing it back to its original pure nature is pratikramaņa. In other words, soul is by nature pure. It has become impure by the contact of adventitious impurities. Removing these adventitious impurities, to bring it back to its original pure and pristine state is pratikramana. Attachment and aversion are the impurities. All other impurities are covered by these two. Hence, having removed attachment and aversion, to establish soul in its natural state of equanimity is pratikramana. What we call sāmāyika is this state of equanimity. The Sūtrakṛtāngasūtra clearly states that it is Lord Mahāvīra who for the first time preached sāmāyika. And it is this sāmāyika which occupies the first place among the six essential acts. And for the attainment of ṣamāyika, pratikramana is the prime means. All other means are secondary.
1. English rendering by Nagin J. Shah
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