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356
S. B. DEO
brows became prominent (pāyaṇabhiüçīmuhā) and only the pupils of the eye remained (adhiyadacchā).711
It may be noted that the different kinds of fasts like the 'rayaņāvali', or the 'padimās' are not prominently mentioned in these texts.
SUPERNATURAL POWERS AND SUPERSTITION :
Superhuman powers which were the result of penance, are not to be met with prominently in the Mülācāra as they are to be seen in the Niryuktis which we have noticed.
C. R. JAIN, in his Sannyāsadharma,712 however, mentions a number of them. They are not different from those that are given in the Svetāmbara texts.
One such incident was about Kundakunda (C. 1st cent. A.D.). From his life written by Pandit PREMI based on the Jñānaprabodha, UPADHYE713 mentions that there occurs in that book a reference to Kundakunda's "dispute with Svetāmbaras on the mountain Girnār, in which he made the local deity Brāhmī admit that the Nirgrantha creed of the Digambaras was true.”
The element of astronomy seems to have been prominent in the early Digambara monachism as we have already seen regarding the position of shadows of feet that were taken into consideration while studying. The causes of non-study also contained climatic and superstitious elements, even though some of them had a basis of ripe commonsense.
DEATH :
Leading his life in the framework of arduous rules of self-control, purity and simplicity, the monk looked upon death as the penance for the end of worldly troubles. Yet he was not eager to end life in an improper way (bālamarana).
The proper ways of death (panditamaraņa), the improper types of it, and such other details about death and the way of entering upon it seemed to be the same as those given in the Svetāmbara texts.714
711. Ibid., 9, 64.
712. Pp. 143-48; Mül. (comm., on 10, 66), however, gives the following list of sinful sciences: māraņoccățanavaśīkaranamantrayantratantrathakaśāśtrarajaputrakokavätsyāyanapitspindavidhāyakam sūtram nāmsādividhayakavaidyasävadyajyotişaśāstrādiratam'.
713. Op. cit., p. VII. 714. Mūl. 2, 59. 74. 76. 103; 3, 120; 5, 152.
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