Book Title: Encyclopaedia Of Jainism
Author(s): P C Nahar, K C Ghosh
Publisher: Satguru Publications

Previous | Next

Page 726
________________ this latter date lasting for 70 days till the 14th Sukla Paksha of Kkrtik. The day of Bhadra Sakla Panchami is also known among the Hindus as 'Rishi Panchami". Literally Pajjusan means Pari samastayena usand sevand i. e. serving with a wholehearted devotion. This is the religious session during the rains. Formerly it was restricted to the Jain sages only; but now all of the Sangha, whether a Sadhu or a Sravak, male or female, take part in it and thus it has become almost common with the Jains. Among the Swetambaris, during this festival covering the periods of 8 days, the only festival in the rainy season, Kalpa Sutra is read and explained before the assembly- -a group of lay devotees by yatis and ascetics. Lectures on its commentaries are delivered for the first seven days and on the last day, fasting is observed and the text of the Sutra is read out to the whole assembly of men and women who hear the same with great attention, respect and veneration. It will not be out of place here to speak a few words about the work. This Sutra principally deals with three subjects 672

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848