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Lord Mahâvîra
Now let us examine the contents of this Câtuyâma. Dr. Rhys David's translation of the passage quoted above from Digha-Nikiya is as follows:
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"A Nigantha, Oh king, is restrained with a fourfold selfrestraint, he lives restrained as regards all water; restrained as regards all evil; all evil has he washed away; and he lives suffised with the sense of evil held at lay."
The reference to water in the translation is obviously a mistake which had been given currency by a commentator on the Pâli text based upon the misunderstanding of the word 'Vâri'. But except for that the translation seems to be satisfactory and it brings out very well the spirit and emphasis of Sâmâyika samyama expressed in its definition, namely 'Savva-sâvajja-joganivitti. The word savva remains intact and savajja-joga-nivitti is found briefly substituted by the word 'Vari' (i.e. vârana) in the Pali text. It may be regarded as a commentary on the Bhagavati tev+ Samaiyammi u kae caujjâmam anuttaram dhammam".
But the fourfold Yâma still remains a bit doubtful. Dr. Rhys Davids is quite emphatic in his non-acceptance of the first four of the five vows to be meant here. She says: "Prof. Jacobi (Jaina Sutras II-XXII) thinks the 'Four Restraints' are intended to represent the four vows kept by the followers of Pârsva. But this surely cannot be so, for these vows are quite different".
In my opinion, if the contents of the Câtuyâma were categorically recognised to be Ahimsa etc. the Buddhist tradition could never have missed it so completely. This does not mean that virtues Ahimsa etc. were not implied. I am sure they were, but probably in the same way as the fourth vow is said to have been included under the fifth. The Samyama was one allcomprehensive and it included absention from all evil like violence, falsehood etc.
Of this Sâmâyika samyama or Sarilvara, there must have been four facets emphasising the method of restraint as suggested by the Pali tradition. It may be something like the triyoga i.e. by mind, word and deed. In the Thananga itself (S. 385) we find it laid down
चउव्विहे संजमे पण्णत्ते । तं जहा मग संजमे, वइ-संजमे, काय-संजमे, उवगरण-संजमे ।
