Scientific Secrets of Jainism

Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

Page 314

'Vigais' And 'Mahāvigais'
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5. Jaggery and Sugar
According to Jain scriptures, there are two kinds of jaggery: 1. lump and 2. hard. Both kinds of unheated jaggery are among Vigais." Jaggery gives a lot of strength. Body becomes very strong by eating jaggery with dry fruits and roasted grams. Even today jaggery and grams are fed to horses as it was done in ancient India. Sugar soon spreads energy in the body. Both are good source of energy." Jaggery stimulates the desire for sexual pleasures." Abstinent monks and those who can keep the vow of celibacy should not. therefore, eat unheated jaggery.
Hygienically speaking, jaggery makes the heart strong and prevents various heart diseases." Jaggery water (sugar water), makes the kidney and the system of urine excretion clean. 19
6. Fried food
Food, fried in oil and fried in ghee are Vigais. Food, fried first, second or third time in the same base of heated molasses, ghee or oil are called sweets." Another word for this is Avagāhika. Frying in fourth, fifth, sixth etc. times in the same base of heated molasses, ghee or oil makes the food nonVigais because it cannot defile the mind or body of one, who eats it. Through six Vigais, thirty varieties of non-defiling (non-Vigaic) food items are prepared. And according to the tradition of the Jain svētāmbara idoltrous sect, when a monk or nun practices Yoga in order to get permission to study Agama sūtras or when a śrāvaka (lay-person) practices penance of upadhāna in order to get permission to study Navakāramantra etc. sūtras, he takes that food while taking his single meal a day (Ēkāśaņa). 20
of the four Mahāvigais, meat and wine do not need useless repetition. Much has been told/written about them elsewhere. But only their kinds will be described here.
1. Meat
Jain scriptures show three kinds of meat: 1. that of aquatic animals such as fishes etc. 2. that of animals on lands such as a hog, a cow, a buffalo etc. 3. that of birds etc. flying in the sky such as the swan, the crow, the sparrow etc. 24 According to Jain belief as soon as living animals die, innumerable micro-organisms of their colour are produced in their meat, blood etc. It is,