Description of Conduct of Saints (Sāmācāra): Meaning of the Term Sāmācāra
This term Sāmācāra has four meanings :
(1)It is the propensity devoid of attachment and aversion leading to volitional equality or veneration of five Supreme souls or practice of equanimity.
(2)It is the transgressionless observance of basic virtues as are detailed under right conduct. It involves defectless foods and earning of right knowledge.
(3)It is the observance of the conduct of complete vows of non-violence etc. by the saints at the spiritual stages of non-vigilant restraint etc. It involves subsidence of passions and observance of ten-fold religion.
(4)It is the observance of the conducts of austerities like detachmental relaxation (Kāyotsarga) etc. as desirable by all kinds of saints.
Kinds of Monastic Conduct
There are two kinds of monastic conduct:
- (1)General Conduct (Aughika).
- *(2)Twenty four hour time-tabled or Detailed Conduct (Pada-Vibhāgika).
The general conduct has ten varieties and the 24-hour time-tabled conduct (from morning to late night) has many varieties.
Ten Varieties of General Conduct
| (1)Wilful obeyance (Icchākāra) | (2)Falsification of offences (Mithyākāra) |
| (3)Assent on Jina sermons (Tathākāra) | (4)Form of Request for Moving out (Asikā / A-sahī) |
| (5)Form of Request for Entry (Niṣedhikā / Nis – sahī) | (6)Asking for commencement for taking meals (Apṛcchā) |
| (7)Repetitively Asking (Prati – pṛcchā) | (8)Favourable Action (Chandana) |
| (9)Request for equipments (Sa-nimantraṇa) | (10)Surrender (Upa-sampat) |
(1)Willful obeyance : It is to accept the desired path of right faith etc. with pleasure. It involves right actions involuntarily. It also involves willfully carrying out of the commandments of the preceptor saint.
(2)Falsification of offences : It is to say ‘let my offences be falsified, they will not be recurred’ when any vowal transgression or offence occurs.
(3)Assent on Jina sermons : To say ‘It is so, it is so’ after listening to the sermons of the Jinas from the saint-teachers.
(4)Form of request for moving out: It is to request the peripatetic guardian deities of residence, temple and caves etc. for permission to move out of them. is sought in terms of the word ‘A-sahi’ (O deities, please be seated, I am going out.)
(5)Form of request for entry : It is to request the peripatetic guardian deities of Jina temples, residences and meditation caves for permission of entrance there. It is sought in terms of the word, “Nih-Sahi” (O deities, let me enter please).
(6)Asking : It is to ask the permission of the preceptors for undertaking any activity or movement for taking food.
(7)Repetitively Asking: It is to ask the preceptor again for permission to undertake any activity sanctioned earlier.
(8)Favourable action: It is to act according to the wishes of the preceptor while receiving equipments from him or performing the daily duties like veneration etc.
(9)Request for equipments : It is to request the teacher, with due reverence, to provide books etc.
(10)Surrender or service : It is to surrender onself before the preceptor saying, “O my teacher, I belong to you. Please bestow your knowledge and conduct on me.” It also involves honour and service of the preceptors.
Time-tabled or Detailed Monastic Conduct
The monastic conduct observed during twenty-four hours starting from sunrise to the next sunrise is called the Time-tabled monastic conduct.
If a saint associated with the virtues of patience, potency and exertion etc. wishes to join another group of saints after learning scriptures from his preceptor, he seeks permission with repetitive request to him to do so. He requests thrice, five or six times for this and gets permission from his initiator and preceptor.
Afterwards, he moves with one, two or three other saints to join the other group as solitary wandering is prohibited by the Acāryas (because of many problems associated with it).58 Detailed monastic conduct can be learnt from the texts like Mūlācāra etc.
Monastic Conduct of the Jaina Female Ascetics (Aryikās)
The Jaina female ascetics should reside jointly favouring each other and should avoid jealousy etc. towards each other. They should observe the above-said basic virtues and ten fold general monastic conduct. The female ascetics are prohibited to undertake harsh activities. The rest of their activities are like the male saints.
The Jaina female ascetics live in a residence neither too far nor too near a village or town. They live with affection towards each other. They should reside away from the residence of male saints. They should move for food-intake etc. after getting permission from the chief Aryikā.
They should always go with their chief Aryikā to visit the preceptor saints or for getting award of penitence. They should not do any activity like weeping, singing, sleeping, domestic violence etc. which are unsuitable for the position of saints.
Special Note
The Jaina female ascetics keep two sāries and they take food in hand-bowls only and that too in a seated position. This is the only difference between the Jaina saints and female ascetics. They are said to observe five complete vows only formally. That is why, they do not have the sixth spiritual stage of restraint. Nevertheless, they stand higher in rank than the single loin- clothed votary.
They are also Venerable by the loin-clothed votary as stated in Sāgāra- dharmāmṛta. “The eleventh model staged loin-clothed votary is not capable of being called as the observer of complete vows even formally because of his attachment in the loin-cloth. In contrast, the Jaina female ascetic is capable of being called as observer of complete vows formally despite having wearing a sāri as she has no attachment in it.”
Five Patrons of the Order of Saints
There are five kinds of patrons of the order of Saints:
| (1) Acārya (Head of the saints) | (2) Upādhyāya (Preceptor) |
| (3)Pravartaka (Promoter) | (4) Sthavira (Senior saints) |
| (5)Gaṇadharas (Guardians) |
The studies and other duties run there smoothly wherever there are these five patrons in the order of saints.
(1)Acārya or Head of the Saints : The religious head-saints are those saints who are
- (1) skilled in bestowing kindness towards the disciples.
- (2) observers of five-fold conduct (Pancācāra) by self .
- (3) causing others to observe the conduct (right faith, knowledge, conduct, potency and austerities).
- (4) awarder of penitences etc. for the spiritual offences.
(2)Upādhyāya (Preceptor): They are the teachers of scriptures to saints and votaries.
(3)Pravartaka (Promoter of the Order): They are the saints who cause the four kinds of saints (see below) to be engaged in their routine duties.
(4)Sthavira (Senior saints or Disciplinarians): They are the senior saints who teach monastic disciplines to the novice and old saints and keep them stabilised in following the right path.
(5)Gaṇadharas (Guardians): They are the saints who educate the people and saints in variety of ways through which the four-fold order can be guarded against any type of disturbances.
Now-a-days in the fifth spoke of devolution, the saints should always live in a group because there are numerous wrong-faithed people and their body-stmcture is not as strong as scripturally described. The saints should not be solitary wanderers.
Characteristics of the Supreme Souls of Head-Saints, Preceptors and Sages
(a)Head-Saints : The Head-Saints are those senior saints who observe five-fold conducts of right knowledge, faith and conduct, potency and austerity and cause others to observe them.
They have thirty six virtues (as named and given below):
- 1-12 Twelve kinds of austerity (6 internal, 6 external).
- 13-22 Ten religious duties (Dharmas).
- 23-27 Five-fold conducts (Pancācāra) as above.
- 28-33 Six essential duties (Avaṡyaka).
- 34-36 Three Self-guards (of mind, speech and body, Guptis).
The Head-Saints educate, initiate and award penitences etc. to the saints and other votaries. They are the leaders of the four-fold order.
(b)Preceptors (Upādhyayas):
They are the teachers of fourteen pre-canons (Pūrvas) and contemporary sacred scriptures.61 They teach the saints but they do neither initiate nor propitiate etc. They are stated to have twenty five virtues related with the studies of twenty five sacred scriptures named as below :
(1) Eleven Primary Canonical Scriptures (Angas)
(i)Acārānga : Primary Text on Monastic Conduct.
(ii)Sūtrakṛtānga : Primary Text on Scriptural Doctrines.
(iii)Sthānānga : Primary Text on Numerated Stationings.
(iv)Samvāyānga : Primary Text on Numerated Categories.
(v)Vyākhyā Prajnapti: Primary Text on Explanatory Enunciation.
(vi)Jnātṛ-kathānga : Primary Text on Biography of Jnatṛs.
(vii)Upāsakādhyayanānga: Primary Text on Studies on Votary.
(viii)Anta-kṛta-daṡānga : Primary Text on the Decad of (World) Terminators.
(ix)Anuttaropa-pātika-daṡānga: Primary Text on the Decad of Anuttara-boms.
(x)Praṡna-vyākaraṇānga: Primary Text on (Prognostic) Questions and Answers.
(xi)Vipāka-Sūtrānga : Primary Text on Sermons on Fruition.
(xii) Dṛṣtivāda : Primary Text on Discourses on the Doctrines.
In fact, there are twelve primary canonical scriptures, but the twelfth one is said to have been lost in memory. It is marked with asterisk above.
(2) Fourteen Pre-canons (Pūrvas)
(i)Utpāda-pūrva : Pre-canon on Origination.
(ii)Agrāyaṇīya : Pre-canon on Principal Precepts.
(iii)Vīryānuvāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Potency.
(iv)Asti-nāsti-Pravāda: Pre-canon on Discourses on Existence-cum-Non-existence or Relativism.
(v)Jnāna-pravāda: Pre-canon on Discourses on Knowledge.
(vi)Karma-pravāda: Pre-canon on Discourses on Karma.
(vii)Satya-Pravāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Truth.
(viii)Atma-pravāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Soul.
(ix)Pratyākhyāna Pravāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Renunciation.
(x)Vidyānuvāda: Pre-canon on Discourses on Learnings.
(xi)Kalyāṇa-vāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Welfare.
(xii)Prāṇānuvāda : Pre-canon on Discourses on Vitalities or Medical Sciences.
(xiii)Kriyā-viṡāla : Pre-canon on Discourses on Arts and Literature.
(xiv)Loka-Bindu-Sāra: Pre-canon on Discourses on the Components and Essence of the Universe.
The first set of sacred texts is called Angas (Primary canonical scriptures, 11 existing texts), and the second set is called ‘Pūrva’ (Pre-canon, 14 in number). They are also now extinct.
The preceptors are called ‘qualified with 25 virtues because they read and teach these twenty five sacred texts ’. Alternatively, the preceptors are knowers and teachers of contemporary texts of own and alien systems.
(c)Sages (Sādhus):
They observe twenty eight basic virtues of the saints. Alternatively, they are proficient in observance of thirteen kinds of conduct and thirteen kinds of activities. They follow the six essential duties non-vigilantly. Thirdly, they observe thirty six kinds of secondary virtues. Sādhu Permeṡthī are qualified with 18000 kinds of good conduct (Ṡīla) and they observe 84 lac secondary virtues.
In the first place, it is essential that all the three – Head-saints, Preceptors and Sages – should observe the twenty eight basic virtues. Just as there can be no tree without root, similarly, there can be no saint without the primary (root) virtues.
Four Kinds of Saints or Sages
There are four kinds of Saints :
| (1) Yati (Restrained) | (2) Muni |
| (3) Anagāra (House- renouncer) | (4) Ṛṣi (Possessed of Prodigies) |
The saints striving for ascending the subsidential or destructional ladder (11-12th spiritual stage) of volitions are called ‘Yatis’. The clairvoyant, mind-reader and omniscient knowers are called ‘Munis’.
The saints observing the 28 basic virtues, renouncing the household and residing in forest, hermitage or temples etc. are called ‘Anagārās ’. The saints of current days have characteristics of house-renouncer saints (Anagāra). The great saints who have acquired supernatural powers or prodigies (Ṛddhis) are called ‘Ṛṣis’.
Description of Thirty four Secondary Virtues of Saints
The twelve kinds of austerity and forbearance of twenty two kinds of affliction (Parīṣahas) are called the secondary virtues of the saints. There are thirty four such virtues. They are given below.
Twelve Austerities : There are six external and six internal austerities – thus twelve austerities in all.
(a) Six external Austerities
(i)Fasting (Anaṡana): Renouncing of four kinds of food (for limited or unlimited period).
(ii)Under-eating (Avamaudarya): To eat little less than what is normally taken during hungry state.
(iii)Mental Vow for Taking Food (Vṛtti-parisankhyāna) : Taking a mental vow to accept food from a house-holder, only if a certain condition is fulfilled.
(iv)Renunciation of Tastes (Rasa-parityāga): Renunciation of 6 types of tastes (Rasas) of foods like sweet, salt etc.
(v)Segregated Sleeping and Seating (Vivikta-Sayyāsana) : To sleep and sit in the segregated place devoid of people and communications.
(vi)Physical Mortification (Kāyakleṡa): To bear pains due to physical postures etc.
(b) Six Internal Austerities
(i)Expiation (Prāyaṡcitta): It is to accept expiation from the preceptor saints for transgressions in observance of vows etc.
(ii)Reverence (Vinaya): To offer reverence to scriptures and the scripture-proficient.
(iii)Pious Respectful Service to the Saints (Vaiyāvṛtya): To offer services as desired for Head-Saints and Preceptors etc.
(iv)Self-study (Svādhyāya) : To engage oneself in five-fold self-studies like reading and questioning etc.
(v)Renunciation of Possessions (Vyutsarga) : Renunciation of internal and external possessions and their attachment and undertaking meditational postures (Kāyotsarga).
(vi)Meditation (Dhyāna): To concentrate mind on the soul and religion after renouncing all worldly worries.
Names of Twenty two Afflictions
The twenty two afflictions are the following :
| Hunger | Thirst |
| Cold | Heat |
| Biting by mosquitoes etc | Nakedness |
The liberation-desiring persons bear these afflictions patiently. This bearing capacity is known as, ‘winning or control over afflictions ’ (Parīṣaha-jaya). For example, they bear patiently the non-availability or partial availability of foods due to varied types of interruptions.
(1)The winning over of affliction of hunger is not to be sorry on not getting food qualitatively or quantitatively as per rules.
(2)The winning over of affliction of thirst is to pacify the thirstiness by the water of equanimity.
(3)The winning over of the affliction of the cold is to bear the cold due to icy conditions in open places without any tenting or covering.
(4)The winning over of the affliction of heat is to bear patiently the hotness of earth / ground parched with solar heat in summer.
(5)The winning over of insect-biting affliction is to bear the pains due to biting of the mosquitoes, scorpions and serpents etc.
(6)The winning over of the affliction of nakedness is to remain unaffected and undefiled like a child on seeing attractive sights.
(7)The winning over of the affliction of disliking is to study and meditate in solitary places like forests or caves etc. without any disgust or disliking for them.
(8)The winning over the affliction of women is to remain steady mentally and physically even after creating obstructions due to amorous activities by the women.
(9)The winning over the affliction of walking is not to feel sad while walking on stony or pebbled roads.
(10)The winning over the affliction of sitting is to bear the pains of sitting for a prescribed time in a prescribed posture patiently.
(11)The winning over the affliction of sleeping is to bear the pains due to sleeping on stony ground or one-sided sleeping due to tiresome-ness caused by long studies with sitting posture.
(12)The winning over the affliction of abuse is not to get angry or agitated even after listening to the harsh, uncivilised and condemning words from the ignorant people.
(13)The winning over the affliction of injury is not to feel sorry even by the beating or hitting by sharp mallet etc. by the ignorant persons.
(14)The winning over the affliction of demanding is not to demand for foods and medicines etc. even after the leaning and thinning of the body.
(15)The winning over the affliction of non-gain is to realise that non-gain is better than gain on not receiving food for a good length of time.
(16)The winning over the affliction of disease is not to expect any treatment or medication even after having many diseases in the body.
(17)The winning over the affliction of rough grass-touch is to think about not to create any pains or injury to any living being while walking on roads with obstructions due to grass, pebbles and thorns etc.
(18)The winning over the affliction of filth is to overlook the pains due to the disease of itching etc. caused by the vow of non-bathing and associated with the body smeared with filth. It is also not to feel disgust in the filthy body.
(19)The winning over the affliction of honour and reward is not to feel about non-award of honour or reward by any person or community despite being a highly austerite, scripture proficient and skilled saint.
(20)The winning over the affliction of pride of intelligence is not to feel proudy about one’s excellent knowledge and intelligence.
(21)The winning over the affliction of ignorance is not to feel sad and sorry even by the insulting words like ‘he is a fool’ or thought like I have not been successful in having excellence in knowledge despite my hard austerities etc.
(22)The winning over the affliction of lack of faith is not to think about non-veneration by the deities etc. for the long-initiated and pure-volitioned person like me and it looks untrue that the deities used to organise excellent functions to honour the highly fasting saints etc.
The saints observe the secondary virtues for the karmic stoppage and shedding. However, it can not be said that one is not a saint when one is unable to cultivate all these virtues in toto.
Thirteen Varieties of Right Conduct
The thirteen varieties of right conduct include 5 complete vows (Mahāvrata), 5 carefulnesses (Samitis) and 3 self-guards (Guptis). The conduct is also known as caraṇa (or practices).
Thirteen Varieties of Karana (Secondary Conduct of Volition – improving Qualities)
The six essential duties, bowings to the five Supreme souls and speaking the words of ‘Nih-sahī’ and ‘A-sahī’ while entering and exiting from Jina temples etc. form the thirteen kinds of Karaṇa (secondary conduct). Out of them, the six essential duties have already been described earlier. The other terms are explained below.
(a)Five Supreme Souls (Parameṣthīs) : The Enlightened ones (Arhantas), Salvated ones (Siddhas), Head of the Saints (Acāryas), Preceptors (Upādhyāyas) and Sages (Sādhu) are the five Supreme souls. One should offer bowings to them.
(b)One should speak ‘Nih-sahī’ and ‘A-sahī’ while entering in and exiting from the temple or hermitage etc. The meaning of these terms have already been given earlier.
Penitential Retreat Recital (Pratikramana)
The penitential retreat is defined as the rectification of transgressions or defects during observance of vows. It has seven varieties as already mentioned earlier:
(1) Penitential retreat for passionless or non-bonding activities (īryāpatha),
The recital of penitential retreat of ‘īryāpatha’ section on reaching the temple through walking etc. is called ‘penitential retreat for non-bonding activities ’ to rectify the unintentional violence during the process.
The nightly penitential retreat is recited during the night at prescribed time. The daily penitential retreat is recited at the end of the day i.e. in the evening. The fortnightly penitential retreat is recited each fortnight on the fourteenth day or dark or bright fifteenth day of the month.
The four-monthly penitential retreat is recited at the end of eight holy days (Aṡtānhikā) during the months of Kārtika (Oct. – Nov.) or Phālguna (Feb. – Mar).
The yearly penitential retreat is recited at the end of the year i.e. on the bright fourteenth or fifteenth day of the month of Aṣādha (June-July).62 The holy-deathly penitential retreat is recited during the vow of holy death period to rectify all the transgressions or defects.
Kinds of the Internal Austerity of Detachmental Relaxation
(Kāyotsarga or Vyutsarga)
The renunciation of attachment with the body and remembering or reciting Ṇamokāra Mantra is called ‘detachmental relaxation’. The minimum period for this austerity is an Antarmuhūrta (i.e. within 48 minutes). The maximum period for this austerity is upto a year.
It should take three respirations to pronounce the verse of Ṇamokāra Mantra. Thus, there will be twenty seven respirations in repeating this Mantra nine times. Ṇamokāra Mantra should be recited nine times in twenty-five respirations –
- (i) after the discharge of urine or faeces,
- (ii) during non-bonding walking to temples etc.,
- (iii) during sacred travel of the sitting area of the sages or their holy death places
- (iv) after the intake of foods.
Similarly, there should be twenty seven respirations in the process of self-study and Tord-veneration (Devavandanā or Sāmāyika) etc. There should be 108 respirations in daily, 56 respirations in nightly, 300 respirations in fortnightly, 400 respirations in four-monthly and 500 respirations in yearly penitential retreat recitals respectively.
Twenty eight Daily Detachmental Relaxations for the Saints
There are two relaxations each related with the offering
- (1) devotion to Jaina idols (Caityabhakti), and
- (2) five Supreme souls (Pancaguru bhakti) during the Ford veneration (Devavandanā or Sāmāyika) thrice a day, it means, there are 2×3 = 6 relaxations in this process.
During the daily and nightly penitential retreat recital, there are four relaxations each related with Siddhabhakti, Pratikramaṇabhakti, Vīrabhakti & Caturavinṡatibhakti. Thus, there are 4 x 2 = 8 relaxations in this process.
During the forenoon, afternoon, early-nightly and late- nightly self-study, there are three relaxations each related with devotion to scriptures (Ṡrutabhakti) and saint teachers (Acāryabhakti) in the beginning and eulogy of scriptures in the end. Thus, there are 4 x 3 = 12 relaxations in this process.
There is one relaxation while resolving for night stay and one relaxation while terminating the night stay. Thus, there are two relaxation here. Thus, we have 6 + 8 + 12 + 2 = 28 relaxations. All the saints should undertake these relaxations daily as a general rule.
Special Note
The promise of, “I will sleep in this residence tonight” after the evening penitential retreat is called ‘Installation of Night-activity’ (Rātri-yoga). In this activity, devotional recitals are made under Yogibhakti. Similarly, the completion of ‘Night-activity’ is performed after the penitential retreat in the morning.
The process of penitential retreat has been elaborated in many books like ‘Kriyā-kalāpa’ and ‘Municaryā’ etc. The time, which remains after leaving 4 ghatikas (24×4=96 minutes) each from the time of sunrise, sunset, midday and midnight is the time for self-studies.
Veneration of Lords (Devavandanā or Sāmāyika)
The saint desirous of offering veneration to Tords should go to the temple and circumambulate it thrice.63 The method of equanimity (Sāmāyika) is stated in the book of ‘Siddhānta Sāra’ (Essence of Tenets):
The following six steps are admitted during the process of veneration of the Tord:
| (1) Independence | (2) Three-times circumambulation |
| (3) Three-times introspective confession (Alocanā) recital | (4) Three-times Kāyotsarga |
| (5) Bowing of head four time | (6) Twelve times three-fold revolution of budded hands (Avarta) |
The saint offering veneration to the Tords should offer it with independence, i.e. without any encumberances. He should circumambulate the temple thrice. He should get seated and recite the introspective confession thrice. He should, then, make declaration thrice. He should have 3-fold revolution of budded hands, twelve times and bow down four times in one Kāyotsarga.
All this means that he should wash his feet after reaching near the temple and should circumambulate it thrice. On entering the temple, he should have sacred sight of the lotus-like face of the Jina image, recite the ‘īryāpatha pratikramaṇa’ (Padikkamāmi Bhante Eriyāvahiyā )and repeat the Ṇamokāra Mantra nine times.
He should, then, sit in a cow-sitting posture (Gavāsana) and recite the non-bonding confession (īryapatha Alocanā). Later, he should state, “I will offer veneration to the Lords and recite the related verses beginning from ‘Siddham Sampūma Bhavyārtham’ upto ‘Samata Sarvabhuteṣū’ (Equanimity for all the living beigns).
Afterwards, he should declare, “I would undertake physical postures (Kāyotsargas) in the process of offering my veneration to the Lords for destroying my Karmas and involving psychical worship, veneration and eulogisation as per the tradition of earlier ‘Acāryas’ (Paurvānhika- deva-vandanāyām… kāyotsargam karomi aham)” and, then, offer five-fold (Pancānga) bowings.
This should be followed by the scriptural extracts (Dandakas) related with Sāmāyika, nine times Ṇamokāra Mantra and eulogisation of twenty four Tīrthankaras (Thossāmi recital) preceded by the three three-fold rotation of budded hands in the beginning and end of the recital. Thus, there are twelve Avartas (revolutions of budded hands) in one physical posture.
Afterwards, one should recite the Caitya-bhakti (Veneration to Jaina idols) and undertake confession with the recital Tcchāmi Bhante’ etc. in cow-sitting posture. Similarly, one should recite the hymns for ‘Reverence to Five Supreme Souls’ (Panca-guru bhakti) followed by recital of ‘Reverence to Equanimous Meditation’ (Samādhi-bhakti) in the end.
All these are followed by Avartas and physical detachmental postures.65 The “Reverence to Equanimous Meditation” is read for purification of all kinds of defects. Two Kāyotsargas each related with Caitya Bhakti and Pancagurubhakti are main in Lord-veneration three times a day.