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Some Jaina Canonical Sutras c28: Chapter XXIII: Āvaśyaka Sūtra (Āvassaya Sūya)

Some Jaina Canonical Sūtras c28

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Chapter XXIII: Āvaśyaka Sūtra (Āvassaya Sūya)

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The *Āvassaya* (*Āvaśyaka*) *Sūya* consists of six sections (*adhyāyas*) corresponding to the six *āvassayas* or the six essential daily duties of a Jaina for the purification of one's own self. The six *āvassayas* are known as *sāmāiya* or *sāmāyika* (way to balance of mind), *cauvīsatthava* or *caturviṃśatistava* (eulogy or glorification of the 24 *Tīrthaṅkaras*), *vandanaya* or *vandanā* (veneration of the teacher), *padikkamana* or *pratikramaṇa* (confession and expiation), *kāussagga* or *kāyotsarga* (penance through certain postures of the body or asceticism) and *paccakkhāṇa* or *pratyākhyāna* (abstinence from food or avoidance of sensual pleasures). This *sūya* (*sūtra*) is the second *mūlasūtra* which has come down only in conjunction with the *nijjutti*.¹ Haribhadra Sūri wrote a commentary on this work. There is also a commentary on it by Jiṇabhadra.² Leumann has published the first three *suttas* in Roman characters with their German translation in *Ubersicht Uber die Āvaśyaka-Literatur*. Some hold that *Āvassaya* is a composition of Śrutasthavira. The authorship of this *sūtra* is either attributed to Indrabhūti or a Śrutasthavira. Some are of opinion that it was composed by Indrabhūti on the very day he composed *Dādaśaṅgī*. It contains many interesting narratives.

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¹ Śrī Āvaśyaka Sūtra part I, with *Niryukti* by Bhadrabāhu Svāmin, Bombay, 1928, Āgamodaya Samiti

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² Buhler, *Leben des Hemacandra*, pp 74ff

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As its title implies, the *sūtra* is very useful from the standpoint of Jain religion. It is counted among the *mūlasūthas* probably for the reason that it contains the lectures or dissertations on the six essential duties of a pious Jaina (*mūlaguṇā*). The definition of the five kinds of knowledge is just incidental to its main themes. The first of them is called *sāmāyikam* which is derived from *sama* (*samabhāva*) meaning balance or from *samyaktva* meaning rightness of direction. The *sāmāyika* carries with it the conception of *dvāra* or door, mode, method, means, or way. It is regarded as a means of gaining knowledge, faith and right conduct, all comprehended by the term *sama*. A *sama* or a man having the balance of mind is one who, being free from passion and hatred, looks upon all beings like himself and the term sāmāyika implies the Jain prescribed method of attaining to such a condition of the self. It implies on the one hand the abandonment of the blamable actions and on the other the cultivation of blameless actions. The sāmāyika vow means the maintenance of a balanced state of mind (madhyasthabhāva) with regard to all blamable actions and passion and hatred. The Jain texts prescribe rules to be observed by the laity in taking and fulfilling the sāmāyika vow. The sikkhā or practice (abhyāsah) is of two kinds namely, āsevanā (cultivation) and grahana (grasping through study). The study of the subject of sāmāyika has four doors.—(1) a door which is like one to a city enclosed by a wall to which public has no access (akritadvāram), (2) the second is a difficult one due to the rush of men, elephants and horses (kritayikadvāram), (3) four main doors (caturmūladvāram), and (4) the special door which is easy of ingress and egress The sāmāyika vow as a preliminary to the Jain religious practices primarily means virati or abstinence

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The second essential duty is the eulogy of the 24 Tīrthankaras and the third is the veneration of the leading disciples of Mahāvīra. The importance of these two to a Jain is too apparent to need any comment.

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The fourth theme is pratikramana which means the prescribed mode of confession and expiation The word pratikramana implies the idea of gradual steps in walking out of the clutches of impurity and proceeding towards purity. The pratikramana mode is concerned in point of time with the past. So it is said, ‘I step out of the past, I practise self-restraint with regard to the present, I practise abstinence with regard to the future’ (atītam padikkamāmi, paduppannam samvaremi, anāgayam paccakkhāmi.’) Thus the expiation of the past misdeeds is possible by the door or means of self-reproach (nindādvārena). The checking of the present misdeeds is possible by the door or means of self-restraint (samvaradvārena) and the prevention of future misdeeds is possible by the door or means of abstinence (pratyākhyānadvārena). He who steps out of the clutches of impure and sinful deeds is a person who adheres to right views, and the practice of meditation is the accredited way of egress. Pratikramana is distinguished into two kinds in respect of substance, place, time, and state of existence. According to another classification, it is of five kinds, namely, stepping out of the door to sin (āsavadārapadikkamana), stepping out of rashness (micchāttapadikkamana), stepping out of four contaminations, (kasāyapadikkamana), stepping out of improper thoughts, words and actions (yogapadikkamane) and stepping out of the states of existence (*bhāvapadikkamane*). According to the third classification *pratikramana* is of the following kinds: stepping out of the sins committed in respect of attending to calls of nature, coughing, removing mucus of the nose, rashness in respect of expanding and contracting the limbs.

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The word *pratyākhyāna* is defined as giving up or abandoning what is a hindrance to spiritual progress. Like *pratikramana* the *pratyākhyāna* mode implies the idea of a gradual process of renunciation. The purpose of the *pratikramana* mode is to step out of the effect of past misdeeds while that of *pratyākhyāna* mode is to put a stop to the possibility of committing sins. So its concern is with the future in point of time. It means regulation of human conduct so that the person under training can abstain from committing sins and can proceed towards the attainment of *moksa* (emancipation). The fulfilment of the five major vows along with the minor vows, the practice of purity in respect of food, the fulfilment of the vow of restricting one's movement to a limited area, etc., all come within the scope of *pratyākhyāna* mode. The *pratyākhyāna* mode is to be practised in three ways, namely, by thought, word and deed.

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The sixth theme is *kāyotsarga* which is an ascetic mode of atoning for the excess in sinful indulgences (*aticāra*). It implies the idea of particular bodily postures to be adopted in keeping oneself unmoved on a suitable spot. It is a Jaina mode of the *Jhāna* (*dhyāna*) practice. He who practises this mode is required to keep his mind, body and speech under perfect restraint. His mind is to be kept intent on the particular object of meditation. If the *pratikramana* mode is concerned with the past and the *pratyākhyāna* with the future, the *kāyotsarga* mode may be taken to be concerned with the present. Jainism lays stress on the practice of self-mortification as a means of checking one's passion as well as of inducing mental concentration. From *sāmāyika* to *kāyotsarga* all the six modes are meant to be carefully studied and methodically practised with a view to clearing the path of progress of the aspirant towards the attainment of emancipation. Our *sūtra* has cited some interesting and instructive stories by way of illustrating these six modes.

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This *sūtra* contains some interesting historical details. During the war between Candanā's father and king Śatānīka, she was caught hold of by an army of the enemy and sold in Kauśāmbī to a banker named Dhanāvaha who named her Candanā in spite of her already bearing the family name of Vasumatī. The banker's wife Mūlā was jealous of her and having cut her hair put her into custody. She afterwards became a nun (*Āvassaya Sūtra*, pp. 223-25; *cf. Kalpasūtra, Subodhikā-ṭīkā*, sūtra 118, pp. 106-7) Mrgāvatī who was married to king Śatānīka of Kauśāmbī was also known as a princess of Videha (*cf. Ibid.*, p 223) Śivā was married to Candapradyota of Ujjayinī (*cf. Ibid.*, p 677) King Udayana was married to Vāsavadattā (*Ibid.*, p 674; *cf. Triṣaṣṭiśalākā*, parva X, pp 142-45) Vāsuladattā, the daughter of Pradyota of Avantī, became the wife or one of the three wives of king Udena of Kosambī (*Ibid.*, p 674) Jyesthā was married to Nandivardhana, brother of Lord Mahāvīra and ruler of Kundagrāma (*Ibid.*, p. 677) Sujyesthā joined the Order of Mahāvīra’s disciples (*Ibid.*, p 685) Mahāvīra during his wanderings as a monk visited Kāśī (*Ibid.*, p. 221; *cf Kalpasūtra, Subodhikā-ṭīkā*, p. 106) Ajātaśatru of Magadha not only humbled Kośala and permanently annexed Kāśī but also absorbed the state of Vaiśālī (*Ibid.*, p 684). Magadha and Avantī were brought face to face with each other (*Ibid.*, p 690, *cf. Pariśiṣṭaparvan*, canto 6, v. 191) Udāyin was a devout Jain. Nanda, the son of a courtesan by a barber, was a king of Magadha. He ascended the throne 60 years after the *nirvāṇa* of Mahāvīra (*Ibid.*, p. 690). The Nanda dynasty had a line of Jain ministers beginning with Kalpaka who was made to accept the ministership (*Ibid.*, pp 691-92) With the help of this minister, Nanda uprooted all the reigning Kṣatriya dynasties (*Ibid.*, p 693) The minister of the ninth Nanda was Sakatāla who had two sons After the death of Sakatāla, Nanda offered the ministership to his elder son Sthūlabhadra, but he refused this office. According to the Jain tradition Candagupta was the son of a daughter of the chief of the village of rearers of the king’s peacocks (*mayūraposaka*) (*cf. Ibid.*, pp. 433-34) After the defeat of king Nanda, his treasures were divided by Candagupta and Parvata between themselves (*Ibid.*, p 435) Cānakya was a native of Canaka, a village of Golla district (*Ibid.*, p 433) Bindusāra, the son and successor of Candagupta, was also guided by his father’s minister Cānakya. (*Ibid.*, p. 184)

Cites (5)