Sambodhi 1972 Vol 01

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 12

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KK Dixit
noteworthy in this connection are the biographies - often covering numero rebirths - devoted to what came to be designated maha puruşas or falak purusas (i e mighty personages) These include 24 fundamental preache of Jelnism (Tirthankara), 12 universal monarchs (Cakravartın), 9 triplets of ty heros (Baladeva and Vasudeda) and one villain (Pratiasudeva) Lastly, the nec was felt for providing the Jaina householder with a daily short-service, ac it was promptly devised To judge from the Bhagavatsūtra, samayika w its name and it consisted of a temporary mental renunciation of all one worldly possession (though we can form no idea of the procedure in all i details) But later on, this service came to consist of six steps - VIZ Samayık Gatiroinfatislava, Vandana, Pratikramana, Kayotsarga and Pratyakhyāna, ster collectively called Avakyaka and described in the Apabyakesülra Curious the texts seldom touch upon the question of slapa-worship, Idol-worship or th like, though the archeological evidence definitely proves the prevalence these modes of worship among the Jalgas of the post-Asokan period TH Bhagavatisülra describes samayika as being performed in a place calle framanopatraya and it gives the same pausadhatala to the place where th householders undertake special pious performancos - but neither of these seen to be the description for a stupa-house or a temple It is in connectio with the cosinographical accounts that the texts speak of stapa, caitya-orky and jinalaya - as adoroing the various heaventy regions; nay, in this conte we even hear of the bones-of-a-Jina placed in a basket and hanging froi & peg attached to a column From this we might suppose that the authoi of these texts wore having in mind the fact that the contemporary Jain community was used to the worship of stūpas, cautya-orkşas, finalayas, th bones-of-a-Jina In any case, these modes of worship were specificall suited to the requirements of a householder and a monk had little use fo them That is to say, the impetus in this direction too came from the circu mstance that a body of householders had come to form a part and parc of the Jaina Church
The developments detalled just above had their repercussion in tho vei organisational method of the Jaina monks themselves, and that deserves close study In the time of Buddha and Mahavira and in their part of th country the cult of wandering ascetias had become a recognized institution Most emphatically 18 it indicated by Asoka's bracketing together of Sramani and Brahmanas as the two types of holy men flourishing in his regime Fc Śramanas are none else but these wandering ascetics and their being place on a par with the Brahmins 19 significant Of course, the Sramanas ha their own differences on questions of theory and practice but that follov from the very fact of their being grouped in the form of various sects an is a different matter, In any case, the Jainas were one of the various Sramai sects of those times and they are the only such sect to suryive in the cour