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CHAPTER XVI
KALPASŪTRA
The Kalpasutra is the most ancient as well as the and the Sadhu-Samacari (rules for monks at the Paryusaņa most revered book of the Svetāmbara Jainas. The book season). The Jina-carita contains the details of the lives is attributed to Ācārya Bhadrabähu (4h century B.C.). of 24 Jinas. The lives of the Jinas begin with the 24th Its text represents eighth chapter (a section) of the Jaina Jina Mahavira. The text moves backward narrating canon known as Dasāsrutskanda which is a mounmental briefly the lives of the 23rd Jina Pārsvanātha and 22nd canonical work known by titles Pajjosavana-kalpa or Jina Neminātha respectively. Thereafter only the names Pajjosamana-kalpa. The term Pajjosavana can be equated of Jinas are mentioned except the first Jina Rsabhanätha. with Paryūṣaṇa which, according to Jaina literature. The life of Rşabhanātha is again described in some signifies the spending of four months of rainy season details. The second part Sthavirävali consists of the at one place. The word Pajjosamana can be equated names of the leaders, who founded the numerous subwith Paryūṣaṇa-samana, which implies forgiveness. The sects of the Jainas. The third and last part, the Sadhuterm kalpa denotes conduct right behaviour' or Sāmācārī, prescribes the code of conduct for monks and prescribed rules. The Kalpasutra, when referred to nuns, in detail, during the rainy season. Pajjosavana-kalpa indicates "conduct by forgiveness'. According to Jaina tradition all monks recited the Both the titles are closely related and when designated Kalpasūtra on the fifteenth night after the commencement as the Kalpasūtra indicate a treatise concerned with the of their rest for the rainy season. Sometime around the foregoing conduct that is followed by the ordained fifth century A.D. the custom of reciting the Kalpasutra during the rainy season from the day of the full moon to large congregations became popular which has in the month of Așadha (June-July) and Karttika continued till today. This practice necessitated the ready (October-November).
availability of copies of the Kalpasūtra, and, as a result, For Jaina monks, nuns and acolytes, the rainy it became the most reprocured text. season is a period of rest during which they settle down The Kalpasūtra begins with the namokära-mantra in one place. They utilise this time for spiritual cleansing of the five-fold obeisance to the Panca-Paramesthin, i.e. which includes fasting, meditation, the reading of the Arhats, the Siddhas, the Acäryas, the Upadhyāyas, scriptures and preaching. The eight-day festival of and the Sädhus. Paryūṣaṇa takes place during this period. The Jaina In the Kalpasūtra the lives of Jinas follow the community celebrates the festival with great religious same pattern. The Jina descends on earth after having fervour. They, under the guidance of holy teachers, spent a long period of time in one of the celestial aspire to spiritual upliftment through fasting, attending spheres. His life is marked by Pancakalyanaka-Cyavana religious discourses and visiting places of worship. The conception), Janma (birth), Dikså (renunciation), spiritual activities include the recitations of the Kalpasūtra Kaivalya (omniscience) and Nirvana (liberation). At the which attests to the special importance of Kalpasūtra time of his birth, the gods shower the earth with riches, among the religious texts.
and Indra takes the infant (Jina) for his lustration on The Kalpasutra written in prose is the sutra of top of the Mt. Meru. At the time of renunciation, the 1200 ślokas. It consists of three parts-the Jina-carita Laukāntika gods hail the Jina for his decision to enter (lives of Jinas), the Sthavirāvali (succession of pontiffs) the life of a homeless monk. When he attains Kaivalya
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