Golden Steps To Salvation

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

Page 19

to the metre-scale used to measure cloth and the litrecan used to measure liquids. Even if you make some profit once or twice by such methods, when the truth comes to light, your business comes to an end. If once the customers lose faith in you, afterwards even if you use the right weights and measures, your business cannot continue. तुलामानयोरव्यवस्था व्यवहारं दूषयति ॥
-नीति वाक्यामृतम् Tulāmānayoravyavastha vyavahāram duşayati “False weights and measures ruin business"
The four kinds of theft are mentioned in a stanza in The Prašna Vyakarana Sutram. “Great men who are masters of the Shāstrās (Philosophies) have described four kinds of adatta (that which is not given): 1. that which is not given by the owner; 2. that which is not given by a Jiva (a living thing); 3. that which is not given by the Jina and 4. that which is not given by the preceptor (The
Guru). These four kinds of theft (adattas) are mentioned in the Upadeśaprasāda also.
Of these, the first one is the adatta (not given) by the owner. This refers to anything which is not given by its owner to anyone. The Jivadatta (not given by jiva or a living being) refers to things not given by a living being. One example of jivadatta is this : Taking the fruits, the flowers, the branches, the bark, the leaves etc., belonging to a tree is jivadatta, because trees and plants are living things and we do not have their permission to take their fruits, flowers, etc. If a muni (ascetic) eats impure food contrary to the principles formulated by Jineswar though such food is given by a householder if it is not in conformity with the prescribed principles, it is jinadatta. Guruadatta is to receive and eat food without the permission of the preceptor (the Guru).