Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.t1.96

c14.t1.96

On many occasions the Nigganthas or Nigganthunis were oppressed by wicked kings and ministers Under such circumstances, failing to pacify the oppressor by peaceful means, it was the duty of the Samana Sangha to punish the evil-doer properly It is stated that Cānakya uprooted the Nanda family, or the weaver Naladāma the species of ants, so a hostile king must not be spared It is laid down that the holy persons who help the cause of religion in this way, or those who render help to such holy persons in their enterprise, are entitled to achieve liberation within a short period (acirānmokṣagamanam) The saint Viṇhukumāra is cited as an example of a great saviour of Jain religion⁶¹ There are other examples when under extreme circumstances the sādhuṣ were forced to violate their vows. It is stated that in order to save an ācārya from the hands of a robber-leader, a weak-bodied Samana might declare himself as an ācārya and offer his life for the sake of his teacher⁶² We have seen how a monk concealed his disciple in a nunnery when the latter was chased by the royal servants Then, if a Sramana failed to control his sexual urge he could indulge in sexual enjoyment by way of masturbation⁶³ (hatthakamma), associating with a woman or by visiting a public woman by paying fees⁶⁴ Similarly at the time of emergency the Samanas were forced to take medicine at night and to use hide, bone teeth or ivory, nails, hair, goat-dung or cow-urine as medicine⁶⁵ But as it has been pointed out, this was not the usual course of conduct of the Samanas. It should be treated as apavādamārga or exception to the rule when a monk under extreme distress had to set aside the utsaigamārga or a general rule for which he had to undergo a pāyacchitta⁶⁶ It is stated that as magical spells removed the effect of poison, similarly if violence is committed according to law (vidhi) purified by chanting magical formulae, sacrifice (janna) and recitation (japa), it does not lead to baneful result; in this way what is permissible (kappa) becomes impermissible and vice versa.⁶⁷ Thus a Samana could violate the general rules only under exceptional circumstances with the idea of practising greater sañjama, i.e, with the idea of doing greater good, which was the ideal of Sramana-hood.