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RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS
203
Buddha (Buddhasāsanam) have been included among those false beliefs which are said to be the products of false knowledge." As a matter of fact, the Sakya Stamanas were the worst opponents of the Nigganthas, who suffered most at their hands, specially after Mahavira's death.
(3) THE TĀVASA SAMANAS The institution of hermits or Tävasas is very old We hear that on one of the journeys he made during his ascetic life, Mahāvīra put up in a hermitage (asamapada) in Morāga Sannivesa" Mahāvīra came across another hermitage named Kanakakhala in Uttaravācāla where five hundred hermits were staying ;73 still another hermitage is referred to in Poyanapura where Vakkalacīri was born 74
The hermits lived in the forest 75 where they occupied themselves either in meditation or in sacuficial uites, or in practice of self-torture or studying the Sultas containing the texts of their school. Much of their time was spent in gathering fruits and roots for their sustenance, or in going into villages for alms The Vyarahāra Blisya tells us that the Tävasas picked up rice-grains scattered around the mortar (udukhala), or the threshing floor (khalaya) and ate them after cooking Sometimes they collected as little quantity of grains as could bc held in a spoon darvi) or stick (danda) or between the thumb and the forcfinger (sanlāsaya) or as much as adhered to a piece of cloth (pottiya) 70
The Ovarya?mentions the following classes of Vanapattha Tävasas residing on the bank of the Ganges
Hottiya—Thcy offered sacrifice. Kottiya—Thcy slept on the bare ground Pottiya-They belonged to the class of ascetics who wore clothes Jannai–They performed sacrifice Saddhar—They belonged to the devotional class of ascetics Thālai-They caned all their belongings with them (grhitabhända) Humbauttha-They carried a vessel with them (kundikās amana).
Dantukkhalıya78_They used their teeth for a mortar, grinding the grain to be eaten between their teeth
Ummajjaka-They bathed taking only a dip Sammaijaka-They bathcd by taking dips several times Nimajjaka—They remained in water only for a short while Sampakkhala -They rubbed and cleansed their body with mud
71 Supia, p 288 T2 Ava Nir 463 13 Āra rūp79
Thid , p 157; cl Bahis Dārucinya in the Dhamn atada 4. IT, PP 209 1
Nasim 967 78 10 23 7T Sú 38, 170, 11 Ninja 3, P 39 78 Dantolik hulin and umnaijal u hirmits are also mentioned in the Ramayana, III, 6:3; 1. Tur - 17-1 T
17.1 f - Onn harmawh bundle of aerrtıra are mentioner
on hannicht
