Note On Class Of Ascetics Called Unmajjaka

Author(s): A Wezler
Publisher: A Wezler

Page 16

232
Albrecht WEZLER
5. The main result of the foregoing examination of — mostly - Epic text material is, no doubt, that the expression unmajjaka of the BaudhDhS (to which I should like now to return) in fact denotes that class of ascetics who are in the other sources said to practice udavāsa. Apart from this the results are rather to be styled as disappointingly meagre. that udavāsa can be performed in running and also in stagnant water, that the ascetic does not move, only his head, and throat, reaching out of the water, that the season considered to be particularly 'suitable' is winter, etc.
Many problems, however, remain unresolved. E.g. what do the unmajjakas live on? Do they leave their place in the water temporarily, e.g. in order to collect food? Indeed, just like the root vas itself and its derivatives so does ovāsa as secondary member of the compound udavāsa not necessarily imply semantically that any change of place whatsoever is entirely excluded”, nor does it only intend "staying overnight”24. That is to say, this compound may refer, and most probably does in fact refer, to nothing but a person's staying for most part of time in water; that he stands upright etc., is not directly expressed, but clearly associated with this term.
This assumption is supported by the fact that at BaudhDhS 3.3.10 "(the use of iron and stone implements” is prohibited for the unmajjakas (lohāśmakaranavarjam). For this statement makes sense (practically) only when it is - in accordance with Govindasvāmin - taken to mean that only wooden implements are allowed them. And the fact that nothing else is said in this sūtra or elsewhere in the BaudhDhs about the unmajjakas is indeed strong evidence that Bühler is right when he takes this prohibition to refer to the collection and preparation (of course not by cooking) of food by these vänaprasthas. Yet he does not give any explanation for this peculiarity
Now, I do not think that the prohibition of the use of implements made out of these two kinds of material is due to the idea that an implement meant for people who stand more or less all the time up to their neck in water should have one very important trait, viz. that of floating, i.e. not instantly sinking down to the ground. That is to say, I do not think that the wooden implement, ladle or whatever it may be, is used by the unmajjakas in order to collect and eat food while standing in water. For, if these ascetics live on certain aquatic plants, one expects that this kind of foodstuff is also made the essential criterion of classification. Besides Buddhacarita VII 14 shows that annam salile
92. Because - as already noted above the author(s) do not give a detailed description, but rather seem to start from the assumption that their listeners are anyway familiar with this and the other forms of tapas.
93. As can be observed also in the case of similar compounds such as vanavāsa, antevāsa/-väsin, parkavāsa, "crab" (according to lexicographers).
94. As it is given for durgaväsa with reference to Mbh. III 12344 (= 3.174.6 a) in Monier-Williams's Sanskrit-English Dictionary (following the Smaller Petrograd D.) in that this expression is rendered by "staying overnight in an unhospitable place".
95. For his commentary on 3.3.10 reads thus: lohakaranam darvyādi / aśmakaranam apy evamākịtikam eva kincit/kāsthāny eva karanam ādāna ity arthah //.
96. And this holds good also for what is said by Sprockhoff, 1.c. (see note 11), p. 27.