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Sec. II]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
an opportunity for manifestation of one more primary human desire and exercised a social control over an individual life by developing the best type of personality and making a progressive social order in those days of the past.
According to the features of this 'Asrama' the first two predominantly prepared an individual for leading a wordly life, while the last two guided him in attaining his spiritual realization.
Thus in the ascending order each stage was a stepping stone to the next one till the highest mission of life might be brought to a successful glorious consummation.
The BhS does not categorically specify these four stages of life by their respective names, but they are inferable from the following terms, Bambhaceravasena," 'Guttabambhayari," 'Ghorabambhaceravāsī,"3 Gāhāvai,* 'Agāravāsa," Vanapattha Tavasa,' 'Parivvayaga," "Thera's and Aṇāgara-Niggantha" as used in connection with the holy teachings of Lord Mahāvīra to denote the distinct stages of life.
It
The first stage was that of Barbhaceravasa10 which denoted the state or life of Brahmacarin (a religious student), occupied the first part of life of an individual (Komariyae)11 i. e. the period from childhood to youth, which was marked by investiture with sacred thread (uvanayana),1a initiation(pavvajjāe), observance of celebacy (Bambhaceravās enam)13 and devotion to learning alphabet and study (vinṇātaparinayamette),14
In the BhS, it is stated that in one of his births Gośāla Mankhaliputra, the Ajivika leader attained intelligence even before the piercing ceremony of the ear (aviddhakannae) by getting
16
1 Bhs, 15, 1, 550.
2 1b, 2, 1, 92. Kumarasramana is also used to denote Balabrahmacarin; BhS (comm.), 5, 4, 118; Sadvarṣajatasya tasya pravrajitvāt.
3 76, 1, 1, 7; 15, 1, 550.
4 16, 3, 1, 134; 7, 9, 303; 15. 1, 540; 15, 1, 541.
6 Ib, 2, 1, 90 ; 11, 9, 417. 11, 12, 436.
Ib, 11, 9, 417.
7 Ib, 1, 2, 25; 2, 1, 90; 8 Ib, 15, 1, 546.
9 Ib, 1, 6, 53; 1, 9, 76; 10 Ib, 9, 31, 365. 18 Th, 15, 1, 550.
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2,
1, 90; 15, 1. 553; etc. 11 Ib, 15, 1, 550. 14 Ib, 15, 1, 540.
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12 Ib, 11, 11, 428.
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