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Lord Mahāvīra and His Times sounds, he should not be attached to them. If he with his eyes sees agreeable or disagreeable forms, he should not be attached to them. If he with his nose smells agreeable or disagreeable smells, he should not be attached to them. If he with his tongue tastes agrecable or disagreeable things, he should not be attached to them. If he with his organs of feeling feels agreeable or disagreeable things, he should not be attached to them. 1
The explanation offered by the Jaina texts in support of the addition of the vow of celibacy is as follows. The Uttarādhyayana says that "the first saints were simple but slow of understanding, the last saints prevaricating and slow of understanding, those between the two, simple and wise : hence there are two forms of the Law. The first could but with difficulty understand the precepts of the Law, and the last could only with difficulty observe them, but those between them casily understood and observed them."
It is however wrong to suppose that Pārśva did not advocate celibacy. What he did was that in the vow of Aparigraha (non-possession) he included the vow of celibacy. This indirect implication of non-possession could easily be understood by the followers of Pārśva who were 'simple and wisc'. Mahāvīra's disciples, on the other hand, being prevaricating and slow of understanding could only with difficulty observe the vow of non-possession'. He had therefore to add the fifth vow of abstinence from all sexual acts in clear terms.
On this H. JACOBI remarks, "As the vow of chastity is not explicitly mentioned among Pārsva's four vows, but was understood to be implicitly enjoined by them (i.e. Pārsva's followers), it follows that only such men as were of an upright disposition and quick understanding would not go astray by observing the four vows literally, i.e., by not abstaining from sexual intercourse, as it was not expressly forbidden. The argumentation in the text presupposes a decay of morals of the monastic order to have occurred between Pārśva and Mahāvīra, and this is possible only on the assumption of a sufficient interval of time having clapsed between the last ). Acha, II, 15-i-v. 2. Uttara, XXIII, 20-27.
