Jaina Acara Siddhanta aur Svarupa

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 84

VII
LAY VOTARIES : Different nomenclatures but
single aim
The word "Srāvaka' which means a votary has been derived from the root 'Sru' which means to hear. Those who listen to religious sermons and conscientiously try to act up to those ideals are true votaries. The other derivation is from the root 'Sira' which means 'to cook'. The Sanskrit word thus formed in 'Srapaka' which does not give the sense of 'Votary'. So it may mean those who cook food are votaries, since ascetics receive alms from their votaries. As such, there is no question of their cooking. Some preceptor has considered the three letters comprising the word 'Srāvaka' and found the term meaningful. The first letter 'Sra' meams 'to listen with unquestioned faith and also to hear. A votary hears discourses not for amusement nor for finding fault with them. His faith, however, emanates from discrimination. He may have questions to ask which are duly answered.
The second letter is 'Va' which means the sowing of good seeds like donation even at the cost of one's basic conveniences. The second meaning is to choose'. The choice is between the beneficial and the hurtful. What promotes the interests of society, and of the self is selected by a votary. Its third meaning is 'discrimination'. He does nothing rashly. He judges things from different perspectives and thus tries to reach the right conclusion.
The third letter is 'ka' which means to cut or eliminate and also to minimise one's needs. Whenever he goes astray, his right sense of judgment extricates him from thorny bushes. He expiates for past misdeeds by devotion, good conduct, austerities and getting at the conceptual meaning.
Lay votaries willingly bind themselves with vows. Vows are not hereditary, for they have to be acquired and imbibed. The son of a doctor does not, of himself, become a doctor unless he pursues medical studies and gets through tests.
The other word for a votary is 'Sramanopāsaka' which means adorers of ascetics of rectitude. Even though living in the world, they do not become of the world. Their ambition alwalys is to be an ascetic, to be free from external and internal possessions and to be free from sinful activities so