Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 46

JAINA ÁSCETICS AND THEIR DRESS
The garments of the Jain monks had to be of proper measurement ( Pramanvat ), of even texture (samam ), strong ( sthira ) and beautiful
hikäraka ).18 The monk suffering from asthama was allowed to wear garments of the measurement prescribed otherwise. 19
The Bịhatkalpasūtra Bhãs ya lays down further that the Jain monks were not allowed to use all kinds of garments. They were disallowed to nse woolen garments as it attracted lice and dirt. If, however, the woolen garment formed an outer covering to protect the body against cold they were allowed to use it. Further, if cotton under garments were not available, they were allowed to use as alternatives, silk and bark clothes.20 But this literature clearly mentions that the monks were not allowed to use Krtsna clothes which were used by laymen.21 There were several varieties of Kytsna clothes like nāma ( according to name ), sthapanā ( of fixed order ), dradya ( according to ingredients and materials ) kşetra kȚtsna (according to place ), kala-kltsna ( according to time) and bhava-kytsna (according to feeling ). The Nisttha Chūrņi22 also mentions that certain types of clothes were forbidden to be used by a monk or a nun as they were very costly. They included cloth made from skin (ainaga ), fine cloth ( sahiņa ), beautiful cloth ( sahiņakallana ), cloth made from goat's hair (aya ), from the fibres of the dugälla a plant ( dugulla ), patta fibres (pațţa ), malaya fibres (malaya ), bark fibres (panunna or patt unna ), aṁsuya cloth (amsuya ), China cloth ( china msuya ); coloured cloth ( desar aga), spotless cloth (anila ), cloth making rustling sound ( gajjaphala ), cloth as clean as crystal (pbaliya ), fluffy blanket (koyava) and mantles (pavāra ). Probably the use of embroidered cloth was also forbidden for a monk or a nun. It may be added here that the wearing of costly garments by the monks sometimes resulted in inviting thieves, 28 They were often put under arrest and punished by Custom Officers for wearing such garments.24 In this connection there is an interesting story of a Jain teacher. The story says that the teacher was once presented with a very costly shawl and while he was passing through a road he was followed by a thief. The teacher after returning to the monastery tore the shawl to pieces. The thief again appeared the night and demanded the shawl from him. The thief after sewing the pieces together took away the shawl as it was.25
18, Bhatealba Satra Bhas ya, 3.2835. 19. Ibid., 4.3907. 20. Ibid., 4 3667-68. 21. Ibid, 4, 3880-95, 3887. 22. Nisctha Chūrni, 7, p. 467; Brhatkalpasūtru Bhāş ya, 2.3662. 23. Byhatkalpasūtra Bhaş ya, 4. 3899-3900, 24. Ibid., 4. 3901. 25. Ibid., 4. 3803–4.