________________
164
A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
Besides, certain rules were to be observed by the Jaina monks with regard to their clothing. Four types of kṛtsna or undivided or complete clothes, i.e. dravyakṛtsna (clothes valuable because of their material or more in size than the proper measurement prescribed for the monks), kṣetrakṛtsna (clothes valuable in certain regions because of being rare), kalakṛtsna ( clothes valuable for being much in use during a particular season) and bhavakṛtsna (clothes valuable because of their colour or price), were not allowed to the monks.1 It was believed that kṛtsna clothes being heavy were difficult to carry around and were also difficult to wash. Moreover, these being valuable, monks wearing the kitsna clothes could be easily attacked by the thieves or be suspected by the Stateofficers for having made a theft.2 Some exceptions, however, could be resorted to during the exceptional circumstances. For instance, the monks could wear the krtsna or undivided garments in the regions where all the people were accustomed to wearing the same." They were allowed to wear better grades of clothes in the regions of Sindhu and Malwa where otherwise they could not procure the alms.* Certain latitude was also given to the kings and princes willing to embrace the monkhood; they could wear soft and fine garments till they were habituated to wearing the coarse clothes. However, this being in exceptional circumstances, the Jaina monks, in general, were to wear the garments of proper measurement (yukta―yatha pramāṇa), without borders (adasaga), cheap in price (appamulla) and also without colour (vaṇṇahīņa)."
thes' and kalapakādi as starched clothes (article on Dress in JISOA, XII, p. 30; also Prācina Bhāratiya Vesabhusa, p. 165) does not seem to be correct.
1. NC. 2, pp. 93-95.
2. NC. 2, p. 98.
3. उचितदेसे तस्मि देसे उचित कसिणं, सव्वजणो तारिसं परिभु जति - NC. 2, p. 98.
4. NC. 3, p. 459.
5. NC. 2, p. 98.
6. NC. 2, p. 97.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
