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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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pline 332 Hence, various bodily postures like the 'savādiśayana' (lying like the dead), 'vīrāsana' (the hero-posture), "utkuţikāsana' (sitting with closed knees), 'godohikā (sitting in a posture adopted in milching a cow), kāyotsarga' (letting the limbs hang down), 'makaramukha' (keeping the feet in a position resembling the mouth of a crocodile), 'nicamastaka' (hanging the head down), 'gfdhra' [keeping the hands raised so as to resemble the (wings of the) vulture] and 'ūrdhvārkādyayana' (to stand looking at the sun), are mentioned.333
Along with these, fasting of varied periodical magnitudes was practised. Fasts like the 'caturtha', 'şaştha', 'aştama', 'daśama', 'duvālasa' upto 'ardhavarşānta' were done.334 The 'Pratimās', however, seem to get a very scanty reference and it is difficult to say whether they were practised on a mass scale in this phase. Those who did them, however, were respected even though they happened to be juniors.335
The minor fasts were of three categories: 'uttama', 'madhyama' and 'adhama'. The first consisted in taking one meal only on the days of commencement and end of the fast. It was also called 'caturvidha'. The 'madhyama' was the same as the first with the difference that the monk took water during the period of fasting. The last category was that in which the monk ate food many times before and after the fast. The last two types were not favoured.336
Fasting was done according to one's capacity 337 and nobody was allowed to practise them out of pride or haughtiness as that was supposed to lead one to mental disturbances. (ärta and raudra).338 SUPERNATURAL POWERS:
It seems that resort to spells and supernatural powers was a common thing. Various feats of these are to be met with in the literature, as well as in the pattāvalis of the Digambaras. The following are a few of them.
It is said that Siddhasena Diwākara performed a miracle by producing an image of Pārśva out of the Linga at Ujjain to influence the Gupta emperor Candragupta.339 Samantabhadra produced an image of Candraprabha out of Bhīmalinga.340 Kumārasena relieved king Allāüddin, of the pain of the
332. Ibid, 7, 9. 333. Ibid. 7, 32: comm. pp. 492-93. 334. Ibid. 7, 11; also 6, 110: comm. p. 463. 335. Ibid. 9, 82; Kanakāvali and other fasts: Ibid. comm. p. 478. 336. Ibid. 7, 15. 337. Ibid. 7, 18. 338. Ibid. 7, 16. 339. J. A., Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 2; Vol. 12, No. 2, p. 68. 340. Ibid. Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 2.
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