________________
THE HOUSEHOLDER'S DHARMA IN JAINISM 73 appear to be the fresh converts to Jainism from the nonAryan stock etc., and are called ' Aoratisamyagdrasti' in the Sastras. And it we give credit, as we should, to the problem of the Vratyas of the Vedic literature, which has been established by Prof. A. Chakravarti, M.A., I.E.S.2, we find the mention of the abovementioned new-converts in the Vedas, as the “Ninditah Vratya" (=Jaina) of 'Hina' (householder's) type. The ‘Jyestha' Vratya are spoken there as the Digam. bara Jaina Munis. And these · Avralasa myagdrastis' are entitled to worship the Jaina deities in the Jaina temples and to perform all other rites of a layman. But it seems that when they get more acquainted with the Jaina teachings and their right belief becomes free from the five and twenty faults, they give up the following seven vices (and do not take their meals after sunset, and avoid eating things prohibited in the Shastras):
(1) Gambling, (2) Flesh-eating, (3) Drinking, (4) Debauchery, (5) Hunting, (6) Theft, (7) and Defiling other men's wives.
And when the above rules are observed fully and their faults are also avoided *, then it is the first stage, called
Darsana pralima '; for, there are stages, known as ‘Pratimas,' in the Jain sastras, which serve the purpose of denoting how much.progress has a layman made in his path of selfrealisation. He observes the vows of each progressing pratima gradually, as he rises step by step through them and reaches the stage of asceticism. When he becomes subject to the strictly austere and severe rules, laid down for the
"Tatradau sraddadhajjaini agoam hinsa mapasitumMadyamansamadhunyujgnetvanca ksirafa lani ca 2 Dyute hinsa nratasteya lobha mayamaye sajan Kahavam kuipati nanar:be vesyakhe lanyadara vat || 17 –
Sagaradharmamratam. 2 Jaina Gazette, Vol. XXI, pp 161-182 • Bhajanmadya di bhajasstristadrasa ih sah sansrajan Bhaktyadau caiti sa kirtim madya disirat iksatim 10. 3.
Sagaradharma mrato. The avoidance of the company of such women and contact of such persons in concern with diet etc., who partake of flesh, wine etc., is to keep oneself safe from committing the faults of this stage,
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
