Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 620

Sec, Iv]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA
595
deer with the net but he does not kill it, and by five (i. e. kāyiki upto prāņātipāta kriyā)", if he kills it. Another example explains the effect of these five actions. A person, having gone to a game forest for hunting deer, remains standing by drawing his bow up to his ear with the intention to kill it, while another person armed with a sword cuts the head of the standing man with it, having come from behind. Now, the arrow drawn by the former springs up and wounds the deer. The person who kills it is affected by the act of enemity towards the deer and the person who kills the standing bowman is touched by that of enemity towards the man.
The action, being done is (equal to) the action done. “Kajjamāne kade." If the dying animal dies within six months from the time of its injury, then that killer is affected by five actions (kāyiki upto prānātipāta kriyā), if it dies after six months, he is affected by four actions.
These ethical principles of five actions tally with the sections of the Indian Penal Code No. 299, 300 & 302, dealing with culpable homicide and its charge and punishment.
It is note-worthy that the BMS advocates the ethical principles of dispassionate defensive war to be followed as a duty to the state, when its sovereignty is threatened by an enemy power, as it is evidenced by the fact of the dispassionate fighting of Varuņa", a citizen of Vaišāli in the Rathamusala Sangrāma against the forces of king Kūņika at the call of his state. The act of violence is divided into the following groups, viz. ārambhiki (act of killing), udyogi (preparatory), virodhi (opposing) and sankalpa (intentional or deliberate), according to the transaction, profession, self-protection and deliberate killing.
Besides these acts of violence committed on beings, there is the thought of violence which is equally sinful. For instance, a man, while killing another person kills him and also others. He kills many beings by his thought, as he is affected by the act of enemity.' 1 Bs, 1, 8, 65.
* 16, 1, 8, 68. $ 16, 7, 9, 303.
4 Ib, 9, 33, 391,