Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s2.t2.1

c12.s2.t2.1

Jain writers like those of the Buddhists lay stress on one's deeds rather than one's birth. It is said that one does not become a Sāmaṇa by the tonsure, nor a Brāhmaṇa by enchanting the sacred syllable ‘Om’, nor a Muni by living in woods, nor a Tāvasa by wearing clothes of kusa grass and bark, but one becomes a Sāmaṇa by equanimity of mind, a Brāhmaṇa by chastity, a Muni by knowledge and a Tāvasa by penance. In fact, a person's worth in life is determined by virtuous life and not by birth.¹⁴ The ridicule of caste system reaches its highest pitch when Hariesa, a soāga by birth, visited a sacrificial enclosure (jamacāḍa) of a Brāhmaṇa teacher and preached him that the real fire was penance, the real fire-place was life, the real ladle (suā) was right exertion, the real cow-dung was body, the real fire-wood was karman, the real oblation was self-control, right exertion and tranquility, the sacred pond was law and the real bathing-place was celibacy.¹⁵ But it is interesting to note that in spite of those caste-denouncing preachings and sermons the Jains could not do away with the time honoured restrictions of caste. They drew a line of distinction between high tribes (jāti-ārya) and low tribes (jāti-jungiya), high trade (kamma-ārya) and low trade (kamma-jungiya) and high crafts (sippa-ārya) and low crafts (sippa-jungiya)¹⁶ which we shall see shortly.