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14]
[ Ch. IV
ascetic has to follow specific rules of conduct for being a true ascetic, the rules had to be stated and their description is given in the third chapter. The specific rules of conduct generally refer to injury or f of living beings which has to be avoided very carefully by the monk. As, in order to follow a strict course of a, a detailed knowledge of all living organisms is necessary, it is given in the present chapter which is named छज्जीवणिया [ Sk. षड्जीवनिकाय ]. The conception of life in matter, which we call dead matter to-day has been in fact found in India since very ancient time. The elements like earth, water etc. were stated to be possessed of a living presiding deity (a) in very ancient Sanskrit books. The question has been treated in a thoroughly penetrating manner in the Jain religious books where life principle is noticed in earth, water, air, fire and plants excepting such cases where it is done away with by the use of (weapon) such as some elements with respect to other elements. For details see आचारांगसूत्र. (Ch. I-1) and (Ch. 36). Whatever grows or whatever promotes the growth of other things is living' appears to be the principle to determine the presence of life or otherwise in a thing. The word far is found in all manuscripts as the heading of the chapter and it is explained as af by the commentators. Perhaps the original word might have been छज्जीवणियाइया ( Sk. षड्ज्जीवनिकायिका) or छज्जीवणियाया ( Sk. षड्जीवनिकाया ).
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DASAVEALIYA SUTTA
Section 1. archaic Voc. sing. of corresponding to Sk. Sometimes there is found the Nom. sing., or, the Voc. sing. ending in an Anuswara in the Agama literature especially in the case of such words as have got the corresponding Sk. word ending in . See fai (विद्वान् ); जयं ( यतन् irregular for यतमानः ). The commentators suggest that the words 3 and a can be read together as one word, and they give various alternative explanations