Jaina Political Thought

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 83

must be satisfied for true happiness. The sources of happiness are indicated by Somadeva with remarkable acuity. These are habit, vanity, imagination and sensation. Unhappiness too is fourfold-natural or dependent on psycho-physical needs and instincts, morbid or arising from illness, accidental or arising from environmental changes, psychic or arising from a sense of social neglect or obstructed desires.
Somadeva's ecletic catholicism may be seen from his commendation of the lokayata. We may recall that Kautalya has mentioned lokayata as one of the three systems comprising philosophy. It is generally understood as referring to materialism. According to Somadeva the knowledge of lokayata enables the king to uproot the thorns of the realm. Apparently, the lokayata based its policies on a realistic appraisal of human behaviour. Again, Somadeva in accordance with Jaina principles, declares that no action is absolutely good. Even compassion and peace stand in the way of the exercise of authority. The king must fight opposition. He cannot practise the rule of absolute forgiveness. Doubtless some sinfulness does attach to the violence involved in the king's performance of his duties, but such evil is overwhelmed by the good which the actions of the king promote. On the other hand, if evil were not forcibly supressed, sovereignty would be infinitely evil. It is the nature of the king's office. It involves him in the constraints of a duty which has some evil but a much greater good attaching to it. One may add that in the technical language of Jaina ethics, it is only deliberated violence which involves the householder in sin.
Trayi is defined traditionally in terms of the four Vedas, the six angas and the four sciences of itihaspurana,. mirnamsa, nyaya and dharmasastra which constitute the fourteen branches of Trayi. Their value lies in codifying social duties. Somadeva distinguishes between sata-Sudras. and sat-Sudras The former are said to be those where women marry only once. We may recall that Jinasena distinguishes between touchable, and untouchable Sudras. on the basis of their professions. It is obvious that the social vision of the Jainas tended to accommodate itself to current views. Somadeva however, is liberal about the Sudras He not only permits them to live by crafts, but says that if they are of good conduct and physically clean, they are fit for serving the gods. the Brahmanas and the ascetics. Similarly in dealing with the code of ascetics, Somadeva is more liberal than the Brahmanical tradition. He would like the ascetics to follow the code as laid down in their own tradition. Every one should be free to worship the gods in whom they have faith. Worshipping without inner devotion is spiritual vanity.
The king should not only maintain the traditional social order, he should also understand the difference in the psychology of the different
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