Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 476

Sec. VIII) STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA
451 Tāmralipti and took that food after washing it with water twenty.one times. It is called "Prāņāmā-Pravrajyā', because he, being initiated, saluted any one high or low, whomever and wherever he saw, whether he perceived (the image of) Indra, or Skanda, or Rudra, or Siva, or Vaiśramaņa (Kuvera), or Aryā (Pārvati), or Kotta kiriyā (Candikā), or a king, or a merchant, or a crow, or a dog, or a pāna (Candāla), or an honourable person.'
Tāmali, having realized his shattered physical condition as a result of his practice of austerity left this worldly life by observing the pādapopagamana samlekhanā tapa' like Skandaka,
Pūraņa of Bebhela Sannivega', the other Vinayavādin got initiated by Dānāmā Pravrajyā to monkhood. According to this system he divided his alms into four parts—the first portion of which was given to the travellers, the second to the crows and dogs, the third to the fish and tortoise and the remaining part was kept for his use. For this reason it is called Dānāmā Pravrajaya. Pūraņa also left the mundane world by observing the austerity of Samlekhanā like Tamali.
The evidences of the existence of the Vinayavādins are also found in other Jaina texts."
Parivrājakas
The Parivrājakas were the wandering teachers who moved in a group with the object of mutual discussion on ethical and philosophical subjects of studies. They also resided sometimes in monasteries (matha) which were out of bounds for women according to the rule of their monastic order. It is stated in the BhS that Skandaka a Parivrājaka was profoundly learned in the hidden knowledge of the four Vedas–Rig., Yaju., sama., Atharvan, Itihāsa, Purāņa, Nighantu, Sasthitantra (Kāpilašāstra), Sankhyāna (Mathematics), Siksa (phonetics), Kalpa (ritual), Vyakarana (Grammar), Chanda (Metre), Nirukta (Exegesis),
i Bhs, 3, 1. 134.
Ib, 3, 1, 135.
16, 3, 2. 144. See Ovõiya Suya, 38, p. 169; Nāya Ti. 15- p. 194-a. 6 Bh8, 2, 1, 90. 11, 12, 436; 14, 8, 529-30.