Jaina Path of Ahimsa

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir Research Centre

Page 76

Basic Positivity Of Ahiṁsā
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sanctifies both the Donor and the Gift. Hence such a Dāna, containing purity in nine ways, contributes to securing abundant fruits.”
(2) Support to Welfare Activities
It is pertinent to note that the Jaina scriptures have not only laid down well-thought-out conditions to be observed in the process of giving Dāna but have also considerably widened the scope and extent of Dāna both from the point of the recipients of the Dāna and from the contents of the Dāna.
The Dāna, with reference to its recipients, has also been divided into two classes, viz., Pātra-Dāna and Karunā-Dāna. The Pātra-Dāna means gifts or offerings made with respect and devotion to worthy recipients and in accordance with the necessary conditions laid down for observance by the people. Such worthy recipients are generally the Jaina persons (including the householders and the ascetics) who have right belief and are continuously engrossed in practising vows prescribed for their stage in life. But the Karuņā-Dāna means gifts or offerings made out of compassion to any one who deserves it, being hungry, thirsty, diseased, distressed, disabled, helpless, or the like. Further, the Karuņā-Dāna, or the gift of compassion, is extremely wide in its scope. In fact, it is not restricted to Jainas alone but it is extended to human and even to sub-human beings who are in need of it.
Such a Karunā-Dāna is popularly considered of four kinds, viz., 1. Ahāra-Dāna, i.e., gift of food, 2. Aushadhi-Dāna, i.e., gift of medicines, 3. Abhaya-Dāna, i.e., gift of shelter, protection from danger,
attack, intimidation, or threat, and 4. Sāstra-Dāna or Vidyā-Dāna, i.e, gift of books, imparting of
knowledge, useful and beneficial.
These four gifts together are formed as "Chaturvidha-Dāna", i.e., four-fold charity and it has been enjoined on the householders that they should make special efforts to give these charities to the needy beings belonging to the human and subhuman categories. The first kind of charity, i.e., Ahāra-Dāna, has been extremely valued along with the practice of Ahinsa in following terms by the important ‘Kurala-Kāvya'
उक्तं हि धर्मसर्वस्वं शास्त्राणां वचने द्वयम्। क्षुधार्तेन समं भक्ति: प्राणिनां चैव रक्षणम् ।। 2