Book Title: Epitome of Jainism
Author(s): K B Jindal
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Page 101
________________ 89 Purushartha Siddhyupaya occupations, in spite of all care and caution; or Anârambhaja otherwise called Samkalpî, viz., that which is committeed intentionally or knowingly, e. g., hunting, offering sacrifices, killing for food, amusement, or decoration, or out of mischief, enmity, malice, or jealousy. Samkalpî Himsâ is entirely renounced by a householder and may well be avoided by every thinking person, without any injury, harm, or serious inconvenience to himself. If he is placed in circumstances, where he cannot avoid the commission of Himså, his act would be Himsâ all the same but the degree of culpability would vary with the varying circumstances. Let us take a few cases by way of illustration, and leave the inquisitive disciple or the thinking scholar to discuss the rest with persons who are his superiors in knowledge and conduct. There is a festering wound in the body, full of maggots. One would remove the maggots as carefully as he can, wash the wound and dress it up. While going on an urgent business, one finds a swarm of ants or earthworms on the ground in front. He would try to avoid crushing them by deviating from the path, and if that be impracticable, he would tread gently and carefully, and avoid hurting the living beings as far as is possible. A fly is caught in a spider's web, and he runs to sting it to death. A Jain householder would do what he can to extricate the fly by breaking the web. This act is Ahimsa, protection of life, though some little injury has been caused to the spider in the damage to its web and in the loss of its food. A person is suffering from a disease caused by bacilli. A Jain Doctor would not mind giving such medicine as he knows would kill the germs. His act would certainly be Himsa, but Himsâ of two-sensed beings and thus of a trifling degree when compared to the Ahimsa, the good resulting from protecting a five-sensed person. Again his motive in giving the medicine is not to kill the germs but to save the patient, and that determines the resultant Karmic effect. Innumerable germs exist in the human body and they die in consequence of a fast, for want of nourishment. Observance of a fast would thus be Himsa in a way, but the avoidance of Hissâ in ways innumerable, because fasting more than outweighs the technical Himsa. Arambhaja or Arambhi Himsâ may again be sub-divided as Udyamî, Graharambhî, and Virodhî. Udyamî is Hiņsâ unavoidably committed in the exercise of one's profession. Permissible professions according to Jaina writers are (1) the profession of a soldier af, (2) of a scribe , (3) of agriculture stor, (4) trade aifu , (5) of an artisan ferry, (6) intellectual faat. Grahárambhî Himsâ is that which is unavoidably committed in the performance of necessary domestic purposes, such as preparation of food, general, bodily and household cleanliness, construction of buildings, wells, gardens, and keeping cattle. Virodhî Himsâ is unavoidly committed in defence of person and property against thieves, robbers, dacoits, assassins, assailants, and enemies, in meeting their aggression and in causing the Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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