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138.
Jaina Community - A Social Survey
The institution of marriage is based on sex-impluse. This sex-impulse is universal among all sorts of people, its intensity has got immense range and it is continuous with the people unlike animals. Because of these qualities it is quite essential to regulate sex-impulse in the interests of individual and society. As the satisfaction of sex-impulse is attended with good as well as bad results, it cannot be left unchecked on the ground that it is a natural urge. Taking into account the necessity of societal control on the free play of sex-impulse mankind has evolved many ways to achieve that aim. It is proposed in this Chapter to discuss the methods adopted by the Jaina community to control the elemental impulse of love.
2. THE OBJECT OF MARRIAGE.. 3. The object of marriage in Jaina community is definitely not the securing of satisfaction derived from sexual acts alone, though it may form a small part of the object. The main purpose of marriage is best explained by Pandita Asadharaji in the following manner ?
afqafaazi zfát magasafah I
देवादिसत्कृतिं चेच्छन् सत्कन्यां यत्नतो वरेत् ॥a A person should marry a girl endowed with good virtues if he wishes to have legitimate children, to get unperterbed sexual satisfaction, to enhance the conduct and prosperity of the family and to honour God, preceptor and other revered things. It is pertinent to note that in these objectives put before a married person, the first place has been given to be getting children and a subordinate position has been assigned to securing sexual pleasure. With a view to give more prominence to this aim of marriage,
Acharya Jinasena has ordained that संतानार्थमृतावेव कामसेवां मियो ya* i: e. one should indulge in sex activity for the specific purpose of getting children and that too during the ovulation period. He has reiterated the same purpose in the following stanzas :
त्वामादिपुरुषं दृष्ट्वा लोकोप्येवं प्रवर्तताम् । महतां मार्गवर्तिन्यः प्रजाः सुप्रजसो ह्यमूः॥ ततः कलत्रमत्रेष्टं परिणेतुं मनः कुरु । प्रजासंततिरेवं हि नोच्छेत्स्यति विदांवर ॥
