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106
ŚRUTA-SARITĀ
in those things and places where there is possibility of life. In view of this fact Lord Mahāvīra, knowing fully well due to his omniscience that the tilas which were offered to him had no life, the water of a certain pond had no life and a certain place was fit for removing the refuse of the body, did not make use of those things. This was because he had to follow a tradition knowing fully well that if he would accept those things his followers would follow him and thereby he would be a cause to the break of that tradition. There was a danger of life of his followers in not accepting those things, still he was not ready to break the tradition. This incidence is narrated in Nishitha Bhāsya Gāthås 4855-4859 and also in Brihatkalpa Bhāsya Gathās 995-1000.
So all these references show clearly that Lord Mahāvīra had sufficient regard for the old traditional laws which he inherited from Pārsva's Sangha and also establish the existence of the Jaina tradition prior to Mahāvīra himself.
Annotation : 1. This was possible because of the word Deva in Devadūsya. Really speaking it means only
3214, Geri in Hindi. Because of its high price it was called devadūsya. It was called cas also, see Angavijjā p. 160.
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