Lord Mahavira and His Teachings

Author(s): Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

Page 46

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Lord Mahavira and His Teachings
intelligent ideological elements in Brahmanism welcomed these ideas. It is significant to note that the ganadharas of Lord Mahavira were brahmins !
And yet more significant reformist aspect of Mahavira's life is that he did not simply point the faults of others, and rest content. With the sweeping grasp of a real reformist, he expanded the chaujjama dhamma of Parshvanatha into the panchajama dhamma. The addition of the vow of celibacy to the fourfold dharma of Parshvanatha has been explained in the Uttaradhyayana as follows:
पुरिमा उजुजडा उ वंकजडा य पच्छिमा । मज्झिमा उज्जुपन्ना उ तेण धम्मे दुहा कए ॥ २३.२६ पुरिमाणं दुव्विसोझो उ चरिमाणं दुरणुपालओ ॥
कप्पो मज्झिमगाणं तु सुविसोझो सुपालओ ॥ २३.२७ Whatever this explanation might mean, Dr. Jacobi rightly points out that there might have been decay in the morals of the monastic order during the period intervening Parshva and Mahavira. Therefore he thought it fit to put the Jaina church first in order and whatever was helpful for that he advocated boldly, for celibacy was essential to mental purity. Therefore he said
दुपरिच्चया इमे कामा, नो सुजहा अधीरपुरिसेहिं ।
अह संति सुव्वया साहू ; जे तरंति अतरं वणिया वा ॥ For out of sex, attachment comes and attachment indeed is the worst possession which a nirgrantha shall never think of.
got afirmat galt... What is, however, still more important is that