The Ratna Karanda Sravakachara (Part IV)

The Guna Vratas

दिग्व्रतमनर्थदण्डव्रतं च भोगोपभोगपरिमाणम्।
अनुबृंहणाद्गुणनामाख्यन्ति गुणव्रतान्यार्याः।।६७।।

Because the dig, the anarthananda and the bhogopabhoga parimana vratas (vows) tend to increase virtue (i.e., the merit of the five ana vratas), great personages have called them guna vratas.

दिग्वलयं परिगणितं कृत्वातोऽहं बहिर्न यास्यामि।
इति सङ्कल्पो दिग्व्रत मामृत्यणुपापविनिवृत्यै।।६८।।

I shall not travel beyond these limits – to hold to a resolve like this, having with a view to avoid the commission of even subtle sins beyond those limits, previously determined the bounds of space in the ten directions, for the rest one’s life, is called dig vrata.

मकराकरसरिदटवीगिरजनपदयोजनानि मर्यादाः।
प्राहुर्दिशा दशानां प्रतिसंहारे प्रसिद्धानि।।६९।।

In placing limits on ones’ movements in the ten directions, well-known oceans, rivers, forests, mountains, countries and yojana*- marks should be selected as boundaries.

अवधेर्बहिरणुपाप प्रतिविरतेदिग्व्रतानि धारयताम्।
प´चमहाव्रतपरिणतिमणुव्रतानि प्रपद्यंन्ते।।७०।।

By the avoidance of subtle of sins beyond the determined limits, [even] the minor vows of a householder are able to rank as the unqualified vows ascetcism [in respect of the regions ying beyond those limits.

Explanation – One naturally cannot commit gross sins where one is not present in some way, whether directly or indirectly. But inability to be physically present in a place does not prevent one from sinning in thought in respect of the objects of that place.

The observance of the dig vrata, however enables one to avoid even sinning in thought in respect of those places which one cannot reach. Hence it is said that the observance of this vrata enables the layman’s vows to approach the five maha vratas of asecticism in point to merit, beyond the limits fixed for his movements.

In other words the dig vrata places a layman on an equality with an ascetic in respect of the regions of space lying beyond the boundaries determined by him for physical and mental activity.

*Ordinarily a yojana is equal to four koses, i.e., from 6 to 8 miles according to local custom. This verse shows that the ancients used to employ yojana stones to mark distances.

प्रत्याख्यानतनुत्वान्मन्दतराश्चरणमोहपरिणामाः।
सत्वेन दुरवधारा महाव्रताय प्रकल्प्यन्ते।।७१।।

The extremely quiescent states of conduct-infatuating karmas which arise from the subsidence of activity of the pratyakhyana type of passions, are taken for maha vratas; [the tinge of passions in the mind is then so light that] it is not easy to say whether they exist or not.

Explanation – Anger, pride deceit and greed are the four principal kinds of passions (kasayas). They are dealt with under four different heads in the Jaina Siddhanta, according to the degree of their intensity.

The intensest, called the anantanubandhi, is the worst kind and prevents the acquisition of Right Faith itself; the intenser type, known as the apratyakhyana, obstructs Right Conduct altogether and hinders even the observance of the minor vows of the householder; the intense, designated the pratyakhana, enables the householder’s vows to be observed, but debars one from the maha vratas of asceticism and the higher forms of meditation; and the mild one (samjvalana) only stands in the way of pure Self-contemplation (sukla dhyana).

The destruction or subsidence of the first type leads to the acquisition of Right Faith; of the second, to the adoption of the householder’s vows; of the third, to the observance of maha vratas; and of the fourth, to sukla dhyana, which is the cause of omniscience and nirvana.

This verse refers to the subsidence of the pratyakhyana type which reduces the intensity of passions to the samjvalana degree. These, as the acharya points out, are of such a mild type that often it is difficult to say whether they exist or not.

प´चानां पापानां हिंसादीनां मनोवचःकायैः।
कृतकारितानुमोदैस्त्यागस्तु महाव्रतं महताम्।।७२।।

Abstaining from the commission of the five sins, himsa and the like, in all the three ways, krita and anumodana, with mind, speech or body, constitutes the maha vratas of great ascetics.

ऊर्द्ध्वाधस्तातिर्यग्व्यतिपाताः क्षेत्रवृद्धिरवधीनाम्।
विस्मरणं दिग्वरतेरत्याशाः प´च मन्यन्ते।।७३।।

Transcending the limits of space upwards, downwards or in other directions, extending the field of one’s activity, forgetting the boundaries fixed, – these are the five transgressions of the dig vrata.

आभ्यन्तरं दिगवधेरपार्थिकेभ्यः सपापयोगेभ्यः।
विरमणमनर्थदण्डव्रतं विदुव्र्रतधराग्रण्यः।।७४।।

The best of ascetics call refraining from wanton (purposeless) activity, likely to cause injury to others, within the limits fixed for one’s activity, anarthadanda vrata.

पापोपदेशहिंसादानापध्यानादुःश्रुतिः प´च।
प्राहुः प्रमादचय्र्यामनर्थदण्डानदण्डधराः।।७५।।

Those who do not inflict any kind of punishment on others call evil lesson, himsadana, apadhyana, duhsruti and pramad acharyya, the five [kinds of] anartha danda.

तिय्र्यक्लेशवणिज्या हिंसारम्भप्रलंभानादीनाम्।
कथाप्रसङ्गप्रसवः स्मर्तव्यः पाप उपदेशः।।७६।।

Narrating accounts having reference to acts of cruelty to lower forms of life, trade, himsa, occupation, swindling and the like is to be known as papa upadeas (evil lesson).

परशुकृपाणखनित्रज्वलनायुधश्रृङ्गश्रृङ्कलादीनाम्।
वधहेतूनां दानं हिंसादानं ब्रुवन्ति बुधाः।।७७।।

The giving of the means of himsa-a battle-axe, a sword, an instrument for digging, fire, weapons, a horn, a chain and the like-is called himsadana by the wise.

वधबन्धच्छेदाद्वेषाद्रागाच्च परकलत्राादेः।
आध्यानमपध्यानं शासति जिनशासने विशदाः।।७८।।

They who excel in the Jaina religion have described the wishing, from motives of love or hatred, of destruction, imprisonment, injury, etcetera, to another’s wife and the like as apadhyana [anarthadanda].

आरम्भसङ्गसाहस मिथ्यात्वद्वेषरागमदमदनैः।
चेतः कलुषयतां श्रुतिरवधीनां दुःश्रुतिर्भवति।।७९।।

Listening to works dealing with occupations, worldly possessions, daring crimes, false doctrines, hatred, love, pride and sex-passion, which disturb the mind, is duhsruti anartha-danda.

क्षितिसलिलदहनपवनारम्भं विफलं वनस्पतिच्छेदं।
सरणं सारणमपि च प्रमादचर्यां प्रभाषन्ते।।८०।।

Dealing in [i.e., meddling with, or handling], earth, water, fire and air; destroying or striking down plants; also moving about, and causing others to move about-these, when done without purpose, are called pramadacharya (pramada=carelessness + charya = activity).

कन्दर्पं कौत्कुच्यं मौखर्यमतिप्रसाधनं प´च।
असमीक्ष्य चाधिकरणं व्यतीतयोऽनर्थदण्डकृद्विरतेः।।८१।।

Indulging in lewd speech, assuming ridiculous attitudes with the body, prattling away in a senseless manner, surrounding oneself with the objects of sensual pleasure, and [otherwise] becoming engrossed in the activity of mind, speech, or body, in an aimless way,-these are the five transgressions of the vow of renunciation of anarthadanda (anartha=purposeless+danda=punishment).

अक्षार्थानां परिसङ्कायानं भागोपभोगपरिमाणम्।
अर्थवतामप्यवधौ रागरतीनां तनूकृतये।।८२।।

Putting limitation, for the day, even within the limits allowed by the parigraha parimana vrata (the fifth vow), according to one’s requirements, and with a view to reducing the sense of attachment and the like, on the choice of the objects of senses, (is called) bhagopabhoga pariman vrata.

भुक्त्वा परिहातव्योभोगो भुक्त्वा पुनश्च भोक्तव्यः।
उपभोगोऽशनवसनप्रभृतिः प´चेन्द्रियो विषयः।।८३।।

Food, clothing and other objects of five senses which can be enjoyed only once, are called bhoga, and those which can be enjoyed more than upabhoga.

त्रसहतिपरिहरणार्थं क्षौद्रं पिशितं प्रमादपरिहृतये।
मद्यं च वर्जनीय जिनचरणौ शरणमुपयातैः।।८४।।

Those who seek refuge at the feet of the Tirthamkaras should give up honey and flesh to avoid injuring moving living beings, and wine to escape from pramada (carelessness, i.e., spiritual laziness).

अल्पफलबहुविघातान्मूलकमाद्र्राणि श्रृङ्गवेराणि।
नवनीतनिम्बकुसुमं कैतकमित्येवमवहेयम्।।८५।।

Because there is little good and great himsa in their use green ginger, roots, butter, buds and flowers should be excluded from the list of eatbles.

Explanation – The green roots and vegetables mentioned are forbidder on the ground that each of them is the abode of more souls than one ; and butter is objectionable on account of its becoming the incubator of a certain kind of germs on a large scale within a very short time of its preparation.

Jainism allows butter to be used by its followers only within an hour or so of its churning, though ghee (clarified butter) may be eaten at any time before it becomes unwholesome.

The reason for this is to be found in the fact that butter becomes sterilized in the process of clarification and there-fore unsuitable as a breeding ground for germs.

यदनिष्टं तद्व्रतयेन्यच्चानुपसेव्यमेतदपि जह्यात्।
अभिसन्धिक्रता विरतिविषयाद्योग्याद्व्रतं भवति।।८६।।

That which is undesirable is to be given up, also that which does not become [the exalted], because deliberate refraining from the use of suitable (useful of sanctioned) objects is a vrata (vow),Explanation – As on one ever takes what is undesirable, asceticism only consists in refraining from the use of that which is desirable.

नियमो यमश्च विहितौ द्वेधा भोगोपभोगसंहारे।
नियमः परिमितकालो यावज्जीवं यमो ध्रियते।।८७।।

Renunciation of bhogas and upbhogas is of two kinds,

niyama and yama; of these the one which has a time limit is called niyama, and other which is undertaken for life, is yama.

Explanation – Vows take the form of either niyama or yama. Renouncing an object for a limited period of time is niyama, but its giving up altogether for life is called yama.

भोजनवाहनशयनं स्नानपवित्राङ्गकुसुमेषु।
ताम्बूलवसनभूषण मन्मथसंगीतगीतेषु।।८८।।

अद्य दिवा रजनी वा पक्षो मासस्तथर्तुरयनं वा।
इति कालपरिच्छित्या प्रत्याख्यानं भवेन्नियमः।।८९।।

Abstaining for a certain fixed period of time, as for instance, for an hour, a day, a night, a fortnight, a month, a season, or a half-year, from food, conveyances, couch, bathing unguents, betel, leaf, clothes, ornaments, co-habitation, music or singing, is niyama.

विषयविषतोनुऽपेक्षानुस्मृतिरतिलौल्यमतितृषाऽनुभवः।
भोगोपभोगपरिमा व्यतिक्रमाः प´च कथ्यन्ते।।९०।।

Constant craving for the venom of sensual enjoyment, dwelling upon pleasurable experiences of the past, abandoning oneself to the sensations of pleasure at the time of indulgence, cherishing insatiable craving for gratification of senses in the future and, going through sensuous experiences in imagination-these are called the five transgressions of the bhogapabhoga pariamana vrata.

Thus ends the fourth part, descriptive of guna-vratas, of the Ratna Karanda Sravakachara, composed by Sri Samantabhadra Swami.