Jain Journal 1976 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 20

58
JAIN JOURNAL
and fond of singing and dancing. Mention is made in the same text of a class of ascetics called Kyşņa-parivrājakas. The life of the pious monk was sometimes disturbed by irreligious people. The Uttarādhyayana Sūtra states that often fools take pious monk for a spy. However, the Kautilyan precept on the use of religion for expionage is worth remembering in this connection.
To come back to the material life of the Brahmanas, it appears that the chaplain (purohit) in the service of the king was the most well-placed among them but unfortunately details are lacking regarding his duties and obligations, prerogatives and privileges. However, to act as priest at religious ceremonies must have been given to him though in the later story of Kumarapala, the son of king Tribhuvanapala, and so a Ksatriya was appointed priest of a temple of Pattana. Some of these religious ceremonies were extremely cruel and included even human sacrifice.
The Jainas recognize five ceremonies called Pañca-mangalas the significance of which has been explained in the Mahānisiha Süya. It has been suggested that in these rites as well as acquisition of mangala symbols is an attempt by the Jainas to dislodge the Brahmanas of the monopoly control over the religious life of the people.
Apart from the officiating at worships, the royal chaplain as also other Brahmanas was required to read the eight signs or omens (nimitta) like earthquakes for the sake of divination or prognostication of what was to take place later. Their services were also requisitioned to read the bodily signs (lakşana). Thus Mahavira is declared a dhamma-vara-caurantacakkavatti by virtue of his having 8000 marks of a great man (atthasahassa-vara-purişa-lakkhana-dhara). The number of recognized lakşanas has been highly enhanced by the Jainas. The Brahmanas were well versed in Joişa or what was better known as Nakkhatta-vijjā which included both astronomy and astrology. They made forecastes of all future events, whether celestial or terrestrical. Reading of dreams was also practiced by them. There was at first no professional interpreters of dream. That is why the Kulakra Nabhikumara, the father Rsabha, had to interprete the dreams of his wife during her pregnancy. Though the Jaina scriptures do not consider these means of living as tantamount to swindler's trade, we are told that there will be no retribution for those who indulge in divination from the bodily marks and augury. A monk in particular is forbidden to talk to a householder about astrology, significance of dreams, etc.
Before concluding this discussion of the position of the Brahmanas, it may be reiterated that the material condition of the individual