The Religion of the (Jaina) Saints
(a)Twenty eight basic Attributes :
The basic and secondary attributes are the volitions of the living beings.57 There are twenty eight basic attributes involving five complete vows etc. There are thirty four secondary attributes – (1-12) twleve austerities and (13-34) twenty-two afflictions (Parīṣahas). The secondary attributes will be described later while the basic ones are described here.
Names of twenty eight basic Attributes :
The twenty eight basic attributes are as follows :
| 1 -5 Five complete vows (Mahāvratas) | 6-10 Five carefulnesses (Samitis) |
| 11-15 Control over five senses (Indriya-jaya) | 16-21 Six (daily) essential duties (Avaṡyakas) |
| 22 Hand – plucking of hairs | 23 Nakedness |
| 24 Non-bathing | 25 Sleeping on hard ground / wooden plank |
| 26 Non-tooth-brushing | 27 Taking foods in standing posture Single-dieting a day |
These basic attributes are detailed below.
1-5 Five Mahāvratas:
The main vows followed by the saints are called Mahāvratas. The term ‘Vow’ (Vrata) is defined as the renunciation of activities like violence etc. with resolve which are the causes of attaining liberation from karmic bondage.
The complete vows are defined as those vows which are observed by the great men like Tīrthankaras etc. or who make these persons great who observe them.
There are five kinds of complete vows as below :
(i)AhimsāMahāvrata (Complete Vow of Non-violence):
The mental, vocal and physical activity with passions is called non-vigilant activity. The destruction or injury of ten vitalities (Prāṇas) of the living beings due to non-vigilant or passioned activities is called violence.
The vow of non-violence is defined as abstinence from violence and observance of compassion for all the living beings in the world.
(ii)Satya Mahāvrata (Complete Vow of Truth):
The renunciation of speech – whether related with the current issues or not – which can cause pains to the living beings is called the complete vow of truth.
(iii)Acaurya Mahāvrata (Complete Vow of Non-stealing) :
This is the vow of not- taking or accepting the not-given entity.
(iv)Brahmacarya Mahāvrata (Complete Vow of Celibacy):
This is the vow of completely renouncing the sex or enjoyment with women or women in general.
(v)Parigraha tyāga Mahāvrata
(Complete Vow of Renunciation of Attachment- based Possessions):
This is the vow of renouncing all the ten external (land etc.) and fourteen internal (Passions etc.) possessions and also of all other things not useful for the saints.
All these five complete vows are the causes for renouncing all the five kinds of sins.
6-10 Five Carefulnesses :
The term ‘Samiti’ (Carefulness) means to act rightly or vigilantly. There are five kinds of carefulness :
(i)īryā Samiti (Carefulness of Walking): It means to walk or sit with proper care and steady mind so as not to injure any living being.
(ii)Bhāṣā Samiti (Carefulness of Speech) It means to speak consistent with canons, non-opposing with earlier or later facts, and devoid of defects like roughness, harshness and piercing to the heart etc.
(iii)Eṣaṇā Samiti (Carefulness in Scrutiny of Foods) : It means to take foods in houses of families devoid of condemnation by public and where there are no defilements due to death and birth and faults like caste-admixture etc. Also, one should take foods by avoiding 46 defects, 32 interruptions and 14 filth defects.
(iv)Adāna Nikṣepaṇa Samiti (Carefulness in Picking and Placing): It means to pick and place things with proper care by seeing through eyes and cleaning by the peacock-feather- picchī (so that no injury is done to the living beings).
(v)Pratiṣthāpana Samiti (Carefulness in Disposal of Excretions): It means toiletting excretions like faeces and urine etc. with proper care on hard grounds where there are no living beings. These are the five kinds of carefulnesses.
11-15 Control of Five Senses (Indriya-nirodha) or Sensualism :
It means to exercise control over the objects of the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. It also means to develop restraint towards sensualism.
16-21 Six Essential Duties or Dis-passionation Devices (Avaṡyakas): The essential duties are duties which are to be inevitably performed. They are six in number as described below:
(i)Equanimity or Sameness (Samatā, Sāmāyika): It means to get devoid of attachment, aversion and delusion. It also involves offering bowings to the five Supreme souls thrice a day and to recite eulogies.
(ii)Eulogisation (Stava): It means reciting hymns in praise of twenty-four Tīrthankaras like Ṛṣabhadeva etc.
(iii)Veneration (Vandanā): It means to offer sacred visit, service or bowings to a Tīrthankara or to develop devotion or affection towards the five Venerable Supreme souls like the
| (a) Enlightened ones | (b) Tiberated souls |
| (c) Head of Saints | (d) Preceptors |
| (e) Jaina saints |
(iv)Penitential Retreat (Pratikramaṇa): It means to confess the wrong activities done through inauspicious mind, body and speech and rectify them through penitential retreat recitals. This observation of penitential retreat has seven forms –
| (a) Daily | (b) Nightly |
| (c) Fortnightly | (d) Four-monthly |
| (e) Annually | (f) Related with passion-less activities |
| (g) Related with holy death ritual |
(v)Renunciation (Pratyākhyāna): It means renunciation of unsuitable material forever and renunciation of even some suitable material for some period.
(vi) Detachment – Promoting Austerities (Vyutsarga): It means to practice physical and spiritual relaxation postures after getting unattached with the body and to contemplate over the qualities of the Jinas. It is also termed as ‘Kāyotsarga’.
These are six dispassionation devices or essential duties. The individuals are called dispassioned (A-vaṡa) who are not under the influence of senses, passions, attachment and aversion etc. The dispassionation activities are the activities of dis-passioned people. All these six activities must be performed daily by the saints.
22.Hand – Plucking of Hairs (Keṡaloca) : It means to pluck the hairs of the head, moustaches and beard by one’s own hand. This hand-plucking of hairs is best if performed in two months, better if performed in three month and minimal if performed in four months.
23.Nakedness (Acelakya): It means to renounce all the possessions including clothes etc. not useful for the sainthood.
24.Non-bathing (A-Snāna): It means renouncing of taking bath.
25.Sleeping on Hard Ground (Kṣiti – ṡayana) : It means to sleep on straw, wooden plank and stone-slab etc.
26.Non-tooth-brushing : It means not to use tooth-powders, pastes or green wood (like fibrous twig of Baboola etc.) for cleaning of teeth.
27.Eating in Standing Posture: It means to take foods while standing and keeping both the feet four Angulas (about 5 cms.j away.
28.Daily Single-dieting : It means to take food only once a day.
Thus, the above are the 28 basic attributes of the saints. The 34 secondary attributes will be described later.
