Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi, K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 53

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TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
and pursued a severe code of conduct and to one that did not go entirely naked and pursued a moderate code of conduct. These two parties had among themselves difference on the question of going naked or otherwise as also on a few other questions of conduct, yet on account of the personality of the Lord it could not assume the form of a conflict. It is in this old synthesis of the severe and moderate paths of renunciation that there lies the root of the Digambara-Svetāmbara split.
In that older time there were not current in the Jaina tradition words like Digambara, svetāmbara etc. Yet words indicative of a difference in code of conduct are actually found employed there—e. g. those like nagna, acela (Uttarādhyayana 23. 13, 29), jinakalpika, pāņi-pratigraha (Kalpasūtra 9. 28), pānipātra etc. for the party of severe renunciation; those like sacela, pratigrahadhārin (Kalpasūtra 9. 31). sthavirakalpa (Kalpasūtra 9. 63) etc. for the party of moderate renunciation.
(2) Even while the two parties in question had differnces as to the code of conduct they had none whatsoever as to the scripture that constituted the very life-breath of the Lord's order; for both equally gave recognition to the scripture which was then current and was reckoned to be of the form of twelve Anga-texts. This situation characterized by some difference as to the code of conduct and total unanimity as to the scripture continued to prevail, to a greater or lesser extent, for some hundred-and-fifty years after the Lord. However, let it be remembered that even in the meanwhile a number of competent masters belonging to the two parties composed works, big and small, based on that very scripture-of-the-form-of-the-Anga-texts, works which found recog
an account of the monks who went without clothes see the sūtras 183 onwards of the sixth adhyayana of the first Srutaskandha; for the rules of conduct pertaining to clothes binding on the monks who put on clothes see the fifth adhyayana of the second Śrutaskandha. And an interesting account of how a monk-whether putting on clothes or going without them-should gain victory over delusion is given in Acāranga 1.8.
1. See Uttarādhyayana, adhyayana 23.