Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 320

Sec. II] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
295 (tartugayassa) and is enjoyed (used) binds matter (dirt), just like that karma-matters get stuck in the soul.'
Cleaning and Dyeing crafts
The Bhs throws some light on the arts of cleaning and dyeing cloths by making incidental references to them, while dealing with the karma-matter as explained by Lord Mahāvīra by way of an example.
Thus it is stated "As the matters (pudgal18) of a cloth which is full of dirt, mud, soft and hard dirts and dust get dissolved from all sides, when it is cleaned and washed with pure water, just like that karma-matters also get dissociated, by pure meditation, from the soul"?
Dyeing
The art of dyeing cloths is associated with that of cleaning them, as they flourish together side by side with the craft of weaving.
This canonical work gives some ideas about the process of dyeing cloths in a similar way like that of cleaning as already explained by way of analogy. Thus it is stated :
"As some man throws an unused or washed or fresh cloth just produced from the loom into a pot of colour of Indian Madder (mamjitthā loņże), that surely being thrown is thrown, being cast is cast, and being coloured is coloured,'8 just
e that a Nirgrantha or a Nirgrant hi becomes a worshipper (ārādhaka or āradhila) as soon as he or she resolves to perform an atonement for the crime committed by him or her during the journey from one village to the other.
Cloths were also dyed in red ochre (dhāturattavattha)", while towels were coloured in saffron (Gardhakājāie).
The Parivrājaku monks used to wear cloths dyed in red ochre (dhāturattavatthi).
1.3 Bh8, 6, 3, 233. 6 16, 2, 1, 90 ; 11,9, 417. 7 Ib, 2, 1, 90; 11, 9, 417.
9.4 16, 8, 6, 334.
6 16, 9, 33, 385.