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Penances
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same root. This shows the basic attitude of Indian philosophy towards the relation between austerities and spiritual progress.
The Atharvaveda says that wise men conquer death by means of tapas.1 The Chăndog yopanişad draws a distinction between devayāna and pitryāna. Those who follow Deayāna attain liberation. The devayāna is characterised by performance of penances.3 Both, Mundaka4 and Praśnopanişad,5 mention tapas as a means of self-realisation. The Mahābhārata makes a mention ofrșis standing on one leg or devoured by vermin, adding at the same time that without inner purity, external austerities alone do not lead to salvation. The Manusmrti lavishly praises tapas.? The Gitā gives in detail the austerities of body, mind and speech.8 These penances are classified by the Gitā into rājasika and tāmasika.'
Place of tapas in Jainism
Umāsvāti describes tapas not only as a means of stopping the inflow of karmic matter but also as a means of annihilation of the previous Karmans. 10 In Satkhandāgama it is said that tapas means extirpation of desire in order to strengthen the three jewels of right attitude, right knowledge and right conduct. 11
The Uttarādhyayana praises tapas in these words : "As a large tank, when its supply of water has been stopped gradually, dries up by the consumption of water and by evaporation, so the karmans of a monk, which he has acquired in crores of births, is annihilated by austerites, if there is no
1. Atharvaveda, 11.5.19. 2. Chandog yopanişad, 5.3.2. 3. Ibid., 5.10.1. 4. Mundakopanisad, 1.2.11. 5. Prasnopanişad, 1.2. 6. Mahābhārata, Santiparva, 174.48, 177.49. Also eight-fold path in
Viduraniti. 7. Manusmrti, 11.34-44. 8. Gitä, 17. 14, 15, 16.
9. Ibid., 17. 17-19. 10. Tattvārthas ütra, 9.3. 11. Virasena on Satkhandagama, 5.4.26 (Vol. XIII, p. 55).
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