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Pravrajya: The Itinerant Life
On a long journey en route for the place where they will spend the căturmasya, when they may be faced by all possible sorts of unforeseen circumstances, such as sickness, epidemic, floods, cyclones, uprisings, riots, strikes, or famine, it is impossible always to anticipate. One must stop here longer, change route, take quick decisions there, re-act to sudden crises. 11 When there is a risk of some variety, śrāvakas escort the sadhvis for part of their journey. 12
These, then, are the most important aspects of vihāra. Even if certain stipulations in its regard are not now fulfilled to the letter because, in the course of this tradition's long history, the cosmic and human framework within which it operates has greatly changed, nevertheless one can discern the spirit of it running through like a thread, a master-sutra which ensures continuity.
a) İryă: The ascetic on the road
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This walk is under the banner of ahimsa.13 As one walks, one must pay the utmost attention not to crush or strike the foot against any living being. In the first place, vihāra only takes place by day, precisely so that one may see where one is walking.14 Generally the sādhvis set out after sunrise and walk until about ten o'clock in the
11 Sometimes it is necessary to change routes at the last minute; e.g. in 1935 Mahāsati Canda was getting ready to leave with her disciples for Malera Kotla in Panjaba when 2 members of that district came to ask her to go elsewhere. The tension between Hindus and Musalmans having worsened, the frequent riots were presenting a very real danger. Mahāsati simultaneously received the directive and invitation of an Upadhyaya to proceed to Ludhiyānā and stay there for the cãturmāsya; cf. Mahendrakumari, 1954, p. 63.
12 Cf. e.g. the vivid description of the vihāras of Mahāsati Umarāvakuṁvara and her companions in the Himalaya, in Jammu and Kāśmira, where difficulties abounded; Umaravakuṁvara, 1962, pp. 53-111.
13 Cf. irya-samiti (P 359); AS I, 8, 1, 20.
14 Cf. BrkS I, 46.
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