Economics of Mahaveera

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Adarsh Sahitya Sangh

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ECONOMICS OF MAHAVIRA
Origin of Swadeshi Gandhiji started the swadeshi (national self-reliance) movement. Today, after the entry of multi-national companies, some of the political parties are talking about swadeshi. The concept of swadeshi was embedded in the code of conduct and the vows of ethical conduct given by Mahavira. One of the vows is digurat – setting the constraints or limits. Those living in Delhi, for example, will put the constraint like this: I will not use anything from outside Delhi. If I wear clothes, those will be made in Delhi. The foodgrains that I eat will be the foodgrains produced within the limits of Delhi only. This is digurat which is the main basis of swadeshi. Mahatma Gandhi was promoting the principle of non-violence under the aegis of Shrimad Rajchandra. Gandhiji · was under his influence. It was natural for Gandhiji to follow the principles of Mahavira. It can be easily maintained that decentralised economic policy, decentralised industry and swadeshi, all the three emerged out of the code of conduct of Mahavira.
Objective of Digurat Digurat had one basic objective: It was to put restraint on imperialistic (dominance of one over the other) mentality. Be it economic or geographical empire, it will not go beyond a particular limit. There was a limit to transportation: it will not go beyond five hundred kilometres or such limit. Under this principle, there was a linear restriction – in a linear direction, curved direction or downward direction or in any given direction. Outside this limit, one will not sell anything; one will neither import nor export. The restriction was with reference to direction. The important principle proved to be effective in putting a check on imperialistic mentality.
Resolve for Peace Today, if the industrially advanced nations, Japan, Germany, Britain or any other, resolve not to export their commodities, this fierce conflict of economic imperialism will cease and the efforts needed to ensure peace and non-violence will not be called for. There will be peace and the problem of war will come to an