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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
pañcamahāvvaya etc.
Then whatever Mahāvīra preached and taught regarding ahimsā came down through oral tradition and finally settled in the canonical texts. Now, here. I propose lo present, with observations, the outstanding facets of ahimsā as reflected in thu Anusisti Adhikara (the Section on Religious Instruction) of the Mulārādhanā of Sivārya, a highly estecmed Prakrit (Jaina Sauraseni) text of the pro-canon of the Digambaras belonging to c. 1st century
AD 3
The Mülārādhanā bclongs to that age when the Digambara and Svetambara sects were not much different from one another. Moreover Sivärya tells us that the entire carly canonical knowledge has been condensed in this work :
ärahanānivaddham savvampi hu hodi sudanānam |
Hence the contents of the portion of ahimsā in this work arc of considerablc importance. The context of this portion of the tcxt is as follows:
The Kșapaka or Arādbaka is on the samstara (his bed for the great final vow, viz., bhaktapratyakhyāna) and is cxerting himself in the various austerities like kāyotsarga (complete indifference to body), anuprcksās (spiritual reflections) etc., which destroy the karman gradually. At this stage, the Niryāpakācārya (the Superintending Teacher), silling by his side, slowly and effectively instructs him in the manifold aspects of religious tenets and practices, so that he may develop disguest for worldly life and longing for salvation. This course of instruction, naturally, also contains the topic of the pañcamahavrata; and the sub-topic of ahimsā is covered by some 47 gahās : 776 to 822
Amongst these 47 gāhās several contain exposition of the following facets of ahimsā which, amidst others, are usually found as laid down or discussed in other canonical texts, excgetical works and also in śrāvakācāras (trcatises on the householder's conduct):
(i) Definition of himsa (ii) Equality of all souls
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