Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
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Parigraha-Parimāņuvrata is socially very important. We should bear in mind that economic inequality and the hoarding of essential commodities very much disturb social life and living. These acts lead to the exploitation and enslavement of man. Owing to this, life in society endangered. Consequently, Jainism pronounced that the remedy for the ill of economic inequality is Parigraha Parimāņuvrata. The method of Parigraha Parimānuvrata tells us that one should keep with one self that which is necessary for one's living and the rest should be returned to society for its well being. Limit of wealth and essential commodities are indispensable for the development of healthy social life. In a way wealth is the basis of our social structure and if its flow is obstructed because of its accumulation in few hands, large segments of society will remain undeveloped. The hoarding of essential commodities creates a situation of social scarcity, which perils social life. In order to resist such inhuman tendency, Jainism incessantly endeavored to establish the social value of Parigraha Parimānuvrata.
Apart from the Anuvratas, the śrāvaka (the householder) has to observe the three Gunavratas and four Śikṣāvratas known as seven sílavratas. These silavratas serve the useful purpose of guarding the Aņuvratas. They effect a positive improvement in the observance of Aņuvratas. That which refrains unlimited movement in any direction is Digvrata, that which refrains from going to some region is Deśvrata. That which refrains wanton activity is Anarthadandavrata. All these three are styled as Gunavratas (vows of withdrawal).
3.1 Nature of Digvrata It consists in fixing the limits of one's own movements in the ten directions.33 For the purpose of demarcation are utilised the well-known signs, such as oceans, rivers, forests, mountains, countries and yojana stones. As regards the time limit, Samantabhadra 34 and Akalanka35explicitly prescribe its life-long observance, while the other ācāryas implicitly state so. The Srāvaka-prajñapt36 tells us that since the householder is like a heated iron ball, his movements, wherever they are made, entail Himsā. If the area of his movements is
33 Ratnakaranda-śravakācāra of Samantabhadra, (Vir Seva Mandira, Delhi).69; Puruşārthasidhyupāya of Amrtacandra, 137 Sarvārthasiddhi, VII. 21 34 Ratnakaranda-śrāvakācāra of Samantabhadra, 68. 35 Rājavārtika, of Akalanka, VII. 21, (Bharatiy Jnanapeeth, New Delhi) 36 Śravakācāra-prajñapti, 281, (Bhāratīya Jnanapitha, New Delhi), Yogasāstra III. 2
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0
