The five Samitis (voluntary movements of the Jīva)

[Full title: Three Stages (1): Saṃvara (Self-restraint)—(A): The five Samitis]

Samiti means the voluntary movements of the jīva in perfect accordance with the Agamas-The samiti is resolvable into five-fold ways as in the following.

(1) Iryā samiti means cautious and careful walking, so as not to hurt anyone. But this is practically impossible. A slight movement from one side to another will surely kill many a life. Indeed! But one should be very careful to 'walk in a manner as would cause the least possible injury to life. Iryā samiti is imperatively enjoined on the monks who must take special care to examine the ground before he steps out anywhere. He must not plod through grassy fields; but should take himself to high-ways fully illumined by the scorching rays of the sun and not much frequented by human beings of either six: for in wending his way through these sunbathed highways with careful steps, if any jīva is killed unwarily, the sin begotten in consequence thereof would not materially affect him in as much as the merit he acquires by his deliberately taking every precaution for not injuring any sentient being outweighs and counteracts thereby the demerit that accrues from the unintentional killing of the invisible germs and animalcules on the path. Such is the character of the first samiti known by the name of Iryā.

(2) Bhāṣa samiti—This means careful movements of the tongue. One should never make any foul use of the tongue as is done in the case of filthy speaking, abusing, or using harsh strong words against any one so as to wound his feeling. This is how the tongue is to be guarded.

(3) Eṣnā samiti—As bad-karma may flow into the constitution of the jīva through the kind of food one takes in, so one should be especially careful about his meals. A sadhu should never take in any food that is some away or other spoiled with forty-two defects.

(4) Ādānnikṣepanā samiti—This means that one should take special care in the selection of seats to sit on, or in putting on garments, or in using the utensils so that no jīva might be injured thereby.

(5) Parithāpaṇika samiti—This is but a precautionary measure that a sadhu should adopt in throwing out unhealthy organic elements from his constitution. A sadhu should not, for instance, spit out anywhere and everywhere in as much as it may affect other jīvas swarming in the place the might spit on.

These are the five samitis which are enjoined on the lay people in general and on the Jain monks in particular to observe in their daily lie. The imperative character of their importance becomes clearly evident when we direct our attention to questions of the relation of hygiene and bacillus. The modern bacillus theory of diseases which have often been declared as contagious, explain the scientific character of the above five injunctions, specially with respect to the monks who have to move about from village to village, from city to city excepting the period of chaturmasya or the four months of the rainy season when they are forbidden to visit place after place.