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HOUSE-HOLDER'S LIFE The next point of divergence is the subject of what may, for brevity's sake, be termed food at night. We have already seen that some of the authors of the works on the house-holder's conduct (Amitgati Acharya and Pt. Ashadharji) have counted it under the mula gunas. According to Sri Basunandi Acharya. (See his Sravakachara) food at night should be given up before attaining to the first pratima. He is supported by Vamadeva (the Bhavasangraha), and, as already stated, by Saint Amitgati (the Upasakachara). Pt. Ashadharji (the Sagara Dharmamrita) is of opinion that ereals should be given up first, and other kinds of food gradually as the aspirant advances further : but in any case it should be completely given up by the time the second pratima is reached. For this reason he calls the giving up of food at night as the sixth anu vrata of the house-holder. The author of the Charitrasara, St. Chamundarai, insists on the abandoning of the habit in the second Pratima. He also, regards it as if it constituted the sixth minor vow. Sri Virananda acharya also describes the observance as the sixth minor vow, but his language has reference to a saint's conduct and not to a house-holder's, which is somewhat misleading. The saint, according to him, should refrain from taking food at night to protect his vows (ahimsa and the rest): and for this reason the giving up of food at night is the sixth anu vrata.
All the above writers regard the sixth pratima of the house. holder as concerned with the giving up of sexual indulgence during the day, limiting it to the night time. On the other hand, Swami Samnatabhadracharya (see the Ratna Karanda Sravakachara). Br. Nemi Datta (see Dharmopadesa Pyusavarsa) and Kavi Raja Malla (see the Lati Sanhita), who do not count the giving up of food at night either among the mula gunas or as the sixth anu vrata, hold the sixth pratima to consist in the giving up of food, that is to say, refraining from eating all kinds of foods at night. They do not seem to limit the sex function to the night time at any stage prior to the seventh pratima, where, however, it is totally eliminated. According to Viranandi Acharya, only the giving up of (foods prepared from) cereals is
implied in the sixth anu vrata ; but food at night should be given Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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