India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c12.s5.14

c12.s5.14

The *sūtra Pañchad-daśatau varge vā* (V.1.60) is of deeper significance. *Varga* here means quorum, or minimum number. It is stated in the *Mahāvagga* (V.13.2) that the Buddha vested the power of *upasampadā* by means of a regular process, in the *Saṅgha* or the whole body of Bhikkhus; but in the outlying localities (*pachantimā janapadā* IX.4.1), where the requisite number of monks was not available (*Avanti-Dakkhiṇāpatho appabhikkhuko hoti*), the quorum for initiation was to be ten (*na ūna-dasa-vaggena upasampādetabbo*, 1.31.2) and for other matters five (*pañcha-vagga gaṇa*). This was permitting *vagga-kammatā* in place of *saṅgha-kammatā* and interdicting the practice of *duvagga* and *tivagga gaṇas*. The Pāṇinian terms *pañchad-varga* and *daśad-varga* seem to have reference to such a contingency. VOTING—Vote is termed *chhandas* in the *Ashṭādhyāyī* (IV. 4.93). Decisions reached as a result of voting (*Chhandaso, nirmite*) were called *chhandasya* (IV.4.93). We read in the *Telapatta Jātaka* that the ministers and the citizens of Takshaśilā decided to elect the Bodhisattva as their king with one vote (*Atha sabbe amachchā cha nāgarā cha ekachchhandā hutvā*, *Jātaka*, I.399).