Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
bats; (iii) Kanțaka-ppa saya-lying on a bed of thorns; and (iv) Pañca-tapana--the penance of five fires.
The continuity of these acts of self-mortification even today is to be found among the ascetics of other religious systems. These are still in practice in the remote villages of eastern India in connection with the annual worship of Dharma or the worship of Siva in the forms of Caraka, Gājana, Gambhira, etc. These horrible and piercing kinds of penances are basically the customs of the indigenous non-Aryan people having magico-religious attributes. 61
The Ajivika mendicants may, according to their mode of begging and/or performance of penance, be grouped in the following categories: 62
(i) Gharasamudaniyā- those who begged food at every
house; (ii) Dugharantariyā-those who begged food at every third
house; (iii) Tigharantarijā-'hose who begged at every fourth house; (iv) Satta gharantariyū—those who begged at every eighth
house; (v) Uppala-bențiya-who, according to Abhayadeva's com
mentary, under a special vow employed lotus stalks in begging (utpala-vīņtāni niyama-višeșād grāhyatayā
bhaikșatvena yeșām suntite utpalavrnţikāḥ);63 (vi) Vijju-antariya-those who do not accept alms if there is
a flash of lightning; (vii) Uțțiyā-samaņā-those ascetics who entered large earthen
vessels for performing the highest penance (Ustrikā mahāminmayo bhöjana-viseșas. Tatra praviștā ye śrāmyanti tapas vant’iti uştrikāśrumanāḥ).64
It is, in fact, no exaggeration to presume the influence and spread of the Ājivika ascetic in Indian religion in general and monasticism in particular. Their organisational infrastructure was sound and solid. The mention of different categories of ascetics makes it clear the existence of a well knit organisation of the system. Another interesting point emanating from the prevalence of various kinds of ascetics is the gradation of the ascetics. The