Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 262

Concept of Śiştācāra
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Bhā. and the Purānas. Baudh DS. (1. 1.5-6) clearly says 'śistas are those who are free from envy and pride, who keep only as much corn as is measured in kumbhi, who are free from greed and hypocrisy, arrogance, covetousness, delusion and anger. Those are śistas who have studied the Veda according to the prescribed methods, together with appendages (i. e. Itihāsa and Purana), who know how to draw inferences from that and, who tend to make people realize the teaching of the Veda? Vāsi DS. (1. 6) defines sista as one whose mind is free from desires. In Mahā Bhā. (3. 198. 55 ff.) it is said that department of the strict (sistācāra) is difficult to acquire. In the same epic (3. 198. 57 f.) the following are mentioned as the means of acquiring sistācāra 'Sacrifice, gifts, austerities, the Vedas, and truthfulness my good Brahmin, are five purifying means for those whose department is informed, and they are always effective. After controlling lust and anger, arrogance, greed and insincerity the strict or virtues (śistas) are contended with the law and are applauded by the śistas'. Matsya P. (145. 39) mentions eight characteristics of the sistas, namely gifts, truthfulness, asceticism, learning, sacrifice, worship, selfrestraint, and want of greed. Mahā Bhā. (13. 30. 20-23) defines and praises the sistas. The sistas are those who are engaged in carrying out the duties of the aggregate of three (namely dharma, artha and kāma), who are engaged in righteous conduct or behaviour, who are conversant with Brahman, who are possessed of the knowledge of the Vedas, who are free from lust and follow righteous behaviour, who subsist on water and air alone, who partake of the remnants of food offered to the deities and guests, who observe diverse kinds of vows. They are worthy of worship who have no spouses (observe celibacy), who have spouses and maintain domestic fire, who are refuge of the Vedas and also of all
creatures in the universe. 2.3. In Tantr Vā. 1.3.7 (see p. 128 ff.) authoritativeness of the sadācāra (the
custom and usages of the sistas) is discussed. śistas are those who perform the religious acts expressly enjoined by the Veda. The sadācāra is what is practised by the śistas and sistas are those who practise sadācāra. These practices followed by the sistas constitute a part of dharma, and thereby dharma leads to heaven.