________________
482
S. B. DEO
(5) Khandhakarani:
It was four hands in length (caühatthavitthahā), and was meant principally to save oneself from a strong breeze (vāyavihuyarakkhatthā). Another interesting purpose to which it could be put to was giving an appearance of dwarfness to beautiful nuns by placing it at their backs and tying it with the garments Nos. (2) and (3) (khujjakarani ü kiraï rūvavāiņa kudahaheüm).119
What Clothes at What Time?
All of these clothes were to be put on by the nun when she went to beg food.120 She was to use the ‘uggahapattaka' without fail at the time of seeking alms, otherwise people were likely to condemn her seeing the stains of the blood which passed at her monthly course; or being devoid of it, she was likely to give up all shame and indulge in all sorts of activities; or there was a possibility of her being seized by a wicked person and then getting unconscious raped by him. She would thus lose all that was precious for female conduct, for it was said that character and shamefulness are the ornaments of women (bibhūsanam sīla hiri ya itthië).121
The nun was on no account to accept and wear any clothes of her own accord without taking the consent of the pravartini or the ācārya. The faults involved in thus accepting the clothes were as follows: 122
(i) seeing a man giving clothes directly to the nun, the newly ordained nuns would suspect the purpose of it and would lose faith in the Law;
(ii) it would tend to the breaking of self-control; (iii) nuns would become greedy of clothes;
(iv) the clothes would turn out to be charmed and thus put the nun in trouble;
(v) there would arise quarrels over it; and lastly,
(vi) there would arise a keen competition among nuns to acquire clothes and would lead them to obtain clothes in any way they liked.
If somebody wanted to offer them clothes then the nuns told the donor that they could not accept clothes without the express permission of the head-nun. In case they happened to accept clothes, then the nuns handed over such clothes to the superior. Then they were washed and kept away for a week to test whether they were charmed or had any other defects.
119. Ogha-N. bha. 320. 120. Brh. kalp. bhä. Vol. IV, 4119. 121. Ibid., 4105-4116; 4118. 122. Ibid., 4153.
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