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114 : श्रमण / अक्टूबर-दिसम्बर / १६६७
depicts, that meat-eating, consuming liquor and coupulation s not sinful but abstention from it brings great rewards. In both of these Aṣṭakas, Haribhadra refutes the arguments put forward by advocates of meat-eating. The adherents of meat-eating, plead that as milk, the constituent of the body of cow and rice, the part of the body of one-sensed sentient paddy etc. are eatable, in the same way meat also, being the limb of the body of cow, is eatable. Against this Haribhadra argues that in this world all the provisions, pertaining to edibles, and inedibles are made according to canons and common practices, hence, meat-eating is not justified on the ground of being a limb or the constituent of a creature only.
He further refutes their view by citing a verse from the Vişnusmrti itself. Me he will devour in the next world, whose flesh, I eat in this (life). To the Acārya, it is a clear decree forbidding meat-eating.
After refuting the view, meat-eating is not sinful, in the 19th Madyapānaüṣaṇāsṭakaṁ' Haribhadra contends that consuming of liquor is hazardous and is a mine of sins. He says that even telling its vices is futile because its vices and hazards are obvious. To illustrate, the fatal consequences of consuming liquord he cites an example, from Hindu Mythology, of a great sage (Rși) who fell in hell due to consuming liquor.
The 20th 'Maithunaduṣaṇāṣṭakaṁ' treats the last assumption of the verse of Viṣṇusmrti 'there is no sin in coupulation.' Refuting it Haribhadra says that passion is the cause of sexual carnality. An activity caused by passion can never be sinless. The pious objective and special occasion prescribed for carnal intercourse in Vișnusmrti itself is a proof that this acivity is a rare one. He cites an instance given by great sages. This intercourse is the destroyer of creatures like penetration of heated iron-rod into pipe. Therefore, intercourse.. is the cause of vices.
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