Book Title: Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni
Author(s): Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 255
________________ EDUCATION, LEARNING AND LITERATURE 335 it was itself a cause of bondage. Among the Jaina scriptures, the Kālika Śruta ( Kāliya-suya ) was meant to be studied during the first and the last porisi (Skt. prahara—the eighth section of the day) of day and night', while the Ukkālika (Ukkaliya ) could be studied at anytime except the kalavela 2 ( the time when the studies were not to be pursued).' In the study of the Kālika Śruta also the first pori sã was reserved for learning the Sūtras and was known as sutta-porisē, while the meaning of the Sūtras was to be learnt during the attha-porisi.“ The scriptural study of the Jaina monks thus amounted to three hours during day and night, and the monks in normal circumstances had to conduct their studies at the prescribed hours. During the unusual circumstances, however, the studies of the Jaina monks were to be suspended, and those conducting the studies during the time of suspension (asajjhāyaasvadhyāya)5 were subjected to severe punishment. Curriculum and Existing Literature of the Jainas The curriculum mainly consisted of the Jaina scriptures although the subjects like grammar, mathematics, astrology, astronomy, logic, the science of omens (nimitta-śāstra ) etc. were invariably taught in the Jaina as well as the Brāhmaņic institutions of the time. The Jaina Acāryas, as noted before, were the masters of the scriptural texts of their own religion and also those of the others. Frequent observations are noticeable in which the householders accept to give shelter to the Jaina monks on condition that the subjects like astrology (joisa ), the science of omens ( nimitta ), prosody ( chamda ), 1. NC. 4, p. 228. 2. Jaafadi Hoare data do HI-NC. 1, p. 7. 3. Firmaet-foferte raraata:-Sabda-kalpa-druma, p. 110; Abhidhāna Rā jendra Koša, Vol. III, p. 493. 4. NC. 1, p. 6; also NC. 1, p. 37. 5. For rules regarding asvādhyāya sec--NC. 4, pp. 224-48: 6, NC. 1, p. 21. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432