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व्यवहारचारित्राधिकार
4 - THE EMPIRICAL RIGHT CONDUCT
compassion (dayā); it is, therefore, appropriate to eat during the daytime. Taking food during the night is forbidden. Eating spicy and juicy food, prepared with taste in view, causes impurity of the mind; this impurity is the cause of injury (hiņsā). Simple food is recommended. Food that contains honey or flesh is prohibited; such food is the home of injury (himsā).
When the digambara ascetic (nirgrantha muni) goes out to seek nourishment (āhāra) for his body - so that it could withstand rigours of austerity - he adopts a typical posture; the thumb and fingers of the right hand are joined together and placed on the right shoulder. This posture indicates that he is now ready for the partake of food. As the householder (śrāvaka) sees such a worthy recipient (pātra), with great delight, he performs the nine kinds of devotion – (navadhābhakti)1 – before offering him food. 1) He welcomes the muni with utmost joy, chanting, “O Lord! – "he
svāmin"; I bow to you, I bow to you, I bow to you – “namostu, namostu, namostu"; here, here, here - "atra, atra, atra"; stop, stop, stop - "tiştha, tiştha, tiştha”. As the muni stops, he is
welcomed by the gesture of circumambulating him thrice. 2) The muni is taken inside and offered an eminent, high seat. 3) With extreme devotion, the householder washes the Lotus Feet
of the muni and, as a mark of respect, applies the water, which has become sacred after touching the feet of the muni, to his
forehead. 4) He worships the muni with great devotion and with pure and
pious eight substances. 5) He bows to him by touching the ground with five parts of the
body. 6-8) With utmost humility and purity of heart pleads the muni to
accept his offering. His affectionate devotion to the muni makes his thoughts pure – mana śuddhi. By articulating the glory of
1 - see Ācārya Jinasena's Adipurāņa, Part 1, p. 452-453.
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