________________
HOUSEHOLDER'S DHARMA IN JAINISM 111
observed without faults, along with the abstainment from the intoxicants, animal food and honey, as enumerated above, make up the eight primary qualities of a layman. 1
These primary qualities are essential of course, to make a person a true Sravaka. It may be noted here that the earliest reference to these eight qualities is in the work of Sri Samantabhadra Swami of about the 3rd. century A.D. 2 and it seems wonderful to find no mention of them made by earlier Acaryas like Sri Kundakunda and Umasvati. It is due to the very reason of Dradya, Kseira, Time and Bhada (intention) that we find the acaryas differing in enunciating the ethical course in general and the eight mulagunas in particular, 3 Still no doubt, the main idea of bringing the aspiring layman nearer and nearer to the great vows of renunciation and penance, and the very shape of the frame and skeleton of the entire Jaina ethical code, as well, are kept intact and sound all through the time, since the days of Samosarana of Lord Mahaoiia down to this day. And we have little occasion to doubt the authenticity of the teachings of the last Jina.
The faults connected with all the vows do not constitute, if not observed, the non-observance of the vows themselves. They only defile a little, the purity in observing the vows; for, the observance of vows in Jainism is equally based on the activities of mind, speech and body. The Buddhist references, too, bear testimony to this fact. 4
The three Guna-oratas of this pratima are (1) Digorata, (2) Anartha-danda-orata and (3) Bhogopabhogaparimana-orala. The Digorata is observed by taking a vow, not to go beyond a certain distance in any of the ten directions.
1. Ratna-karandaka'm. 20. 2. Ratnakarandaka, 20.
3. Besides Sri Samantabhadracarya, the other acaryas of the Digambara agct, who came after him, describe the Mulagunas in the following way. The outer difference is only due to the changes of time and envi. ronments of the atmosphere in which they lived ; i.e., they are due to Dravya, Ksetra, Kala and Bhava.
4. Majjhimma Nikaya, Vol. 1. pp. 371-387 and p. 238. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
