Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 619

594
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. X
mundane world.1 It advocates that one should practise selfcontrol in respect of all beings, i.e. the observance of non-violence. Categories of sin (papasthanas)
There are eighteen categories of sin, viz. act of killing, untruthfulness, stealing, sexual intercourse, act of possession, anger, pride, deceitfulness, greed or avarice, attachment to worldly objects and interests, hatred and jealousy, quarrelsomeness, slandering, telling of stories to discredit anyone, criticism and finding fault with others, disliking, hypocrisy and perverted attitude of mind to truth (prāṇātipāta upto mithyadarsana salya).
The sinful acts of all beings are the causes of their sufferings, while the annihilation of sinful acts is the cause of happiness.
Classification of violent action
There are five kinds of violent action" which are the causes of bondage, viz. kāyikī kriyā (physical action), adhikaranikriya (act of preparation for killing beings by collecting murderous materials, such as, poison, net, instruments, and the act of producing weapons, etc., or subordination), pradveşikī kriyā (act of hatred and jealousy) pāritapaniki kriya (act of causing pain) and prānatipata-kriya (act of killing) by one's own hand and that by
other's hand.
The BhS makes analysis of the effects of these five kinds of action from the ethical standpoint, on a person involved in hunting a deer. For example, when a person who earns his livelihood by killing a deer, intends upon its killing and endeavours to kill it, and having gone to a game forest, marks the deer and makes trap for its killing, he is called the performer of three or four or five actions. Because as soon as that person lays out the net but does not bind or kill the deer, he is effected by three actions (kāyiki, adhikaraṇī and pradveṣiki), and by four actions (i. e. kayiki upto pāritāpaniki), if he captures or binds the
3 Ib, 1, 6, 52.
1 BhS, 12, 2, 443. 4 Ib, 10, 2, 396.
Ib, 2, 1, 92. 5 lb 3, 3, 150.