Book Title: Jaina Political Thought
Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Page 115
________________ liable to pay the cost. For any delay or departure from the time table too he is liable to be fined, if there is no adequate reason. On the other hand, if the master discontinues the porter midway then he is liable to pay the full wages. On the subject of the recission of sale and purchase, we gather that for the purchase of female slaves, cows, seeds, beasts of conveyance, jewels and men slaves a certain time was allowed for trial. In general the buyer could return the article purchased on the same day provided it was unspoilt. On the second and third days the goods could not be returned. If the purchase follows a proper examination, no recission of sale was permissible. In the testing of gold, silver etc., a certain percentage of loss was admitted as valid. The proportions in which fabrics of different kinds shrink or expand are said to have been listed in the Jaina Agama. Various rules are laid down for situations where cattle damages crops, or where cattle is lost owning to the negligence of the employees looking after it. The surrounding of villages and towns were to be carefully protected so that neither did property suffer from cattle nor the cattle for lack of grazing. The law of deposits relates to a kind of banking. If a person has no children or they are no good one is forced to make arrangements for the security of the family. For this reason and for fear of theft, if one is not to manage one's own wealth, or if one proposes to go on travel, one may deposit one's wealth with a truthful and virtuous person, which may be with or without interest. If there is a dispute between the parties, the state would intervene. Such deposits are called ankisepa. If a person places his goods with someone else under his own seal, this is called upnidhi. Irregular sales are to be carefully regulated. If one sells without title, one is to be punished like a thief. If one buys valuable things from a poor man for a small sum secretly or beyond normal hours, the buyer was again liable to be punished as a thief. The seller is required to be able to show where he got the commodities he is engaged in selling. If one finds goods lost or stolen, the officers must be informed. Injury through speech implies the moving away of awareness from its normal purity and the causing of pain. Even truthful speech which causes pain should be avoided. The punishment for harsh speech varies according to caste. For example, if a Ksattriya abuses a Brahmana in as thief he should be fined hundred mudrikas, for abusing a Vaisya the fine would be half while in case of Sudra it would be only twenty. If a Brahmana abuses a Brahmana or a Ksattriya the fine would be forty panas, for abusing a Vaisya. he would be fined twenty-five panas,, for abusing a Şudra he would be fined only ten panas, If a Sudra abuses a Brahmana he would be punished by beating etc., for abusing a Ksattriya or a Vaisya or a Sudra he 102

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