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476
S. B. DEO
with a stick in her hand. The nun who wanted to come in was touched by the guard at her head, chest, and cheeks to verify whether the person wanting entry was a nun or somebody else. Then her name was asked and then she was let in. If with all these precautions, the trespassers attacked them and pushed in, then the older nuns stood out with sticks and warded off the raiders while the younger nuns remained inside with sticks. A great uproar was also made to get help from the people.75
With the intention of safety, the nuns were given a differential treatment as compared with that given to the monks. The places prohibited for the nuns were not always treated so for the monks. For instance, the monks were allowed to stay in shops, bazaars, 76 etc. with or without the consent of the owner,77 as also in a place with open entrance.78
As seen already, the Sthānanga permits common residence for the monks and nuns only under exceptional circumstances.79 But in the Brhatkalpa they are allowed to have a common lodge on other occasions also. They were allowed to stay together in a place which had no barriers and gates but had free exit and entrance.80
The maximum period of stay in a village was one night (i.e. day) and in a town five nights.81 But later on, it seems, a longer stay was permitted, and in a village, etc. "enclosed and without outside houses, the nuns (remained) two months, summer and winter; when enclosed and with outside houses, four months, two within and two without”.82 At twilight or at night they were to remain in their lodge 83 The rainy season, of course, compelled them to stay at one place and many rules regarding this are common for the nuns and the monks.84
Various punishments for the transgressions of these rules are cited in great details in the Chedasūtras.85
75. Ibid., 2331-52. 76. Brh. kalp. 1, 13. 77. Ibid., 1, 24. 78. game egarāžya nayare pañcaraïya'. 79. Brh. kalp. 1, 8-9 (I.A. Vol. 39, p. 260, transl.). 80. Ibid., 1, 15. 81. P. 314a. 82. Brh. kalp. 1, 11. 83. Ibid., 1, 47.
84. Acar. II, 3, 1, 1 (p. 136); Kalpasūtra, (SBE., Vol. XXII), transl. pp. 296ff; Brh. kalp. 1, 36.
85. See Appendix 1; also Bịh, kalp. bha. Vol. III, vs. 2312, 2328, 2431.
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