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The interaction of Sanskrit through Jainism
karmas the householder observes twelve vows. Samantabhadra defines them as follows:
grhinam tredha tisthaty anuguṇašikṣāvratātmakam caraṇam | pañcatricaturbhedam trayam yathasankhyam akhyātam //1
(The conduct prescribed for the householder is of three kinds. They are vratas in the form of aņu, guna, and sikṣa. They consist of five, three and four divisions respectively.)
1. The five partial vows (anuvratas) which are prescribed for a house-holder are:
(i) non-violence (ahimsa)
(ii) truth (satya)
(iii) non-stealing (asteya)
(iv) celibacy (brahma)
(v) non-possession (aparigraha)
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These five partial vows are parallel to the absolute vows (mahāvratas) of an ascetic. Along with these five partial vows, a householder is also expected to renounce wine, meat and honey,2
2. These five partial vows are supplemented by the three guna vratas, the digivrata, anarthadapdavrata, bhogopabhoga- parimäna-vrata. These three vows are related to the limitation of daily work, food and enjoyment.
3. The third kind of vow, the fiksa-vrata, is of four kinds, the dešavakašika, samayika, proladhopavasa and valyavṛtya. These emphasise the inner purity of the heart. *
Dešavakäsikavrata is to limit the sphere of one's activity from day to day and for fixed periods.
Samayika-vrata is to refrain from the five kinds of sin for a particular period of time every day. This vow consits of --
(i) pratikramana (thinking about the sins committed and repenting for them)
(ii) pratyakhyana (to determine to avoid doing sins in future)
(iii) samayika karman (to renounce personal attachments and to develop a common feeling to all)
(iv) stuti (to praise the twenty four Tirthankaras)
(v) vandana (to show devotion towards a particular Tirthankara) and
(vi) kayotsarga (to withdraw attention about body and contemplate on the spiritual self).
1 RK. 51.
2 RK. 66
3 RK. 67, Ts. 7:21,
4 Bhargava, op. cit. p. 102.
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