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Sramaņa, Vol 58, No. 2-3/April-September 2007
Now Yagnet and Helgafe T = Bīrjorā= Citron (VaidyakaŚabda-Sindhu, Rāja Vailabha, page 708.) and go godt also mean Bījorā and, therefore, the commentator has adopted that meaning. When the synonymous words used in connection with the animal life are used in respect of vegetable life, they bear the same meaning e.g. Syn. Words.
Animal life Vegetable life कुमारी & कन्या.
and unmarried girl aloe plant & faida.
a rouge, a cheat Dhaturā plant groene, godonci, & grofat cock or hen Citron fruit
We have taken the disputable words as meaning vegetable plants and fruits on the authority of medical dictionaries, moreover they were useful because of their medicinal properties to cure the disease from which Lord Mahāvīra was suffering.
Even a scholarly commentator like Abhayadeva-Sūri has understood the sentence to mean vegetable things, what objection can there be on our part to accept those interpretations? A great saint like Manu says “आर्ष संदधीत, न तु विघटयेत" that the words of great men should be carried on with a constructive bent of mind rather than destructive one. Accordingly we should also give interpretation which may maintain the fundamental principle of Jainism viz., Ahimsā.
Following are some additional arguments to support why the interpretations referring to animal life are not applicable in this case.
(1) Medical science does not advocate anywhere the use of animal flesh for the cure of such a disease.
(2) It is not only impossible but incredible that a person like Lord Mahāvīra, who raised hue and cry against animal killing would behave in manner detrimental to the most beloved principle of his life, and it is equally incredible that he himself would resort to meateating against his preaching to his followers that meat-eating is leading to hell.
