Sambodhi 2012 Vol 35

Author(s): J B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 49

Vol. XXXV, 2012 The Earliest Portions of Daśavaikālika-sūtra 39 4th century B.C., just two verses to be precise, the rest seemingly dating within the larger bracket of c. 2nd-1st century B.C.-A.D., the four versified laminae may have been taken from the samgrahanīs or collections of floating verses. 5. Pindaişaņā
The chapter, entirely in verse, consists of two uddeśas or lessons, of which the first contains as many as 131 verses that visibly are not homogeneous in style. The opening verse has its peculiar style. But verses 2-30 seem consistently from the same hand: however, those from 31 to 49, with a refrain na me kappati tārisam, are from a still different hand. Vs. 50-55 do not betray this refrain nor are they in the same style, but are taken from some other source. Verses 56, 58, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93 and 95, however, show the forenoted refrain, these verses in most cases alternate with a verse each without the refrain. This group is followed by another group (vss. 96-131) differing in style from the foregoing two groups. It is this section in which the controversial verses 104, 115 occur, which apparently may lead to infer that the Nirgrantha mendicants used to eat non-vegetarian food, and on which the two Ācārānga prose passages in Book II (cū. 1/10 - 403-04) are believed to have been based. Stylistically, almost the entire uddeśa I, despite differing hands, could be as early as c. 2nd cent.- 1st B.C., but positively not of Sayyambhava's time since not in his style nor within his intentions. It is clear that, the controversial verses are the handiwork either of some Buddhist monk turned Nirgrantha friar, or by some influential ksatriya pontiff having a strong following, who could not give up his pre-ordination non-vegetarian habits in eating or perhaps a Pārsvāpatya who had joined the Church of Vardhamāna. For these rules violate the fundamental doctrine of non-violence and compassion for all beings upheld and rigorously adhered by Mahāvīra himself as is clear from the archaic passages in the Ācāranga (I-1.6.49-55) as also from the work's following early statements:*
सव्वेपाणा पिआतगा सुखसाता दुक्खपतिकूला अप्पियवधा । पियजीविनो जीववितुकामा । सव्वेसिं जीवितं पियं ॥
- 3 TERİN-HE 2-8-18.00 से नातिते नाती आवते न समनुजानते सव्वामगंधं परिन्नाते निरामगंधे परिव्वते ।
– 3MERIE 2-7.4.CC