History of Jaina Monachism

Author(s): S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute

Page 436

HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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If the possessed corpse cried aloud the name of a particular monk, then the head of the latter was tonsured, and he was asked to undergo fasts by separating himself from the gaccha.
An Image of Grass:
If at the time of the death of a particular monk the constellation was unfavourable, then two images of Kusa grass were made. Failure to do so was supposed to result in the death of two more monks.
The Funeral:
Taking all these precautions, the dead, after being well tied, was carried by the monks or by the laymen to the funeral ground, and was placed there with its head towards the village. This was done to prevent it from entering the village again if it got up.
Then the ground was cleaned and a grass bed was spread over it evenly.
The requisites like the broom, mouthpiece and the colapatta were kept by the side of the dead. That was deemed essential to prevent the suspicion of the king who might otherwise think that the monks were responsible for the death of a non-monk. The pots, etc. used for the deposition of bodily excreta of the dead were allowed to be kept for the use of other monks who were ill. Otherwise, they were thrown away.
Body Left to the Jackals?
It appears from the description given in the Brhatkalpabhagya that the body of the dead was left to the mercy of the jackals.
This practice is hinted by the fact that different superstitions were based on the direction in which the body was dragged by these wild animals. Plentiful alms and a happy sojourn were supposed to be indicated to that direction in which the body was dragged by jackals without wounding the dead. If, on the other hand, the jackals dragged the corpse to a particular direction after wounding it, then famine was supposed to take place in that particular direction.
These rules, however, were said to be applicable only to the bodies of an ācārya or of one who had done a long fast previous to his death. In the case of others, no such predictions could be done even if their bodies were dragged by jackals.
The Return:
The party was not allowed to return by the same road by which it had taken the dead to the funeral ground. Before returning, they were not to perambulate round it.