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together under the leadership of one teacher in an uvassaya or a vasali, and who followed a code of rules and regulations laid down for them. We have seen that Parsva and Mahavira had a large number of followers Likewise Vairasāmi had a gana of five hundred monks under his supervision,21
LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
The rule of a Samana Niggantha is stated to have been most difficult (paramaduccara) to practise. He had to keep a watchful eye over his observances The path is compared to treading on the edge of a sword.22 There were two classes of Jain monks. (1) those who wandered about naked and used the hollow of their palms for an almsbowl, (2) and those who put on clothes and kept an alms-bowl, sweeping-duster, a piece of cloth called mukhavastrika and other necessary articles. They came out daily begging their food, and plucked their hair unlike the Buddhist monks as They were called Nigginthas because they were unfettered It is said that a monk had to guaid himself against (1) destroying life, (2) telling a lie, (3) stealing, (4) sexual intercourse, (5) possessions, (6) taking meals at night, (7) injuring "carthbodied" living beings, (8) "water-bodied" living beings, (9) "fire-bodied" living beings (10) "air-bodied" living beings, (11) "vegetable-bodied❞ living beings, (12) inobile beings tasa), (13) prohibited things, (11) taking meals in a householder's utensil, (15) using sofa (paliyanka), (16) scat (nisajja), (17) taking bath, and (18) decoration +
The Nigganthas were not allowed to eat or drink anything specially prepared for them, purchased for them, set aside for them or cooked for them; neither they were allowed to eat food meant for faminc-stricken persons; food for foresters, food stored for rainy season, food meant for the sick persons, or roots, bulbous roots, fruits, seeds and, green vegetables 25 Thus the conduct of a Jain monk, down to the minutest detail, was regulated by specific ordinances and even the slightest violation of which was sure to bring down upon him the appropriate punishment It is a difficult work to narrate these ordinances in detail, but it would suffice to say that these touched even the minutest details regarding their conduct in begging alms, their residence, medical treatment, their duty at the time of distress, lawlessness in the country, pestilence, behaviour towards the king, and the like
THE HARDSHIPS UNDERGONE BY THE SAMANAS
There were days of endless troubles and difficulties for the Jain Samanas, who had to pass through various calamities to get on with thei
21 Ava cu p 394
12 Naya 1, p 28
23 According to Prof Rhys Davids the Bhukku order of homeless persons evolved ongi nally from the Brahmacarins who did not enter upon the stage of the householder and who customarily begged their food (D'alogues of the Buddha, I, pp 215 ff).
24 Das. sú 6 8 25 Naya 1, p. 28.
