Verse 7.1 - Classification of the (fivefold) vow (vrata)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 7.1:

हिंसाऽनृतस्तेयाब्रह्मपरिग्रहेभ्यो विरतिव्रतम् ॥ ७.१ ॥

hiṃsā'nṛtasteyābrahmaparigrahebhyo virativratam || 7.1 ||

Desisting (virati) from injury (hiṃsā), falsehood (anṛta), stealing (steya), unchastity (abrahma) and attachment-to-possessions (parigraha) is the (fivefold) vow (vrata). (1)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: [हिंसाऽनृतस्तेयाब्रह्मपरिग्रहेभ्यो विरतिः] हिंसा, झूठ, चोरी, मैथुन और परिग्रह अर्थात् पदार्थों के प्रति ममत्वरूप परिणमन-इन पाँच पापों से (बुद्धिपूर्वक) निवृत्त होना सो [व्रतम्] व्रत है।

Anvayartha: [himsa'nritasteyabrahmaparigrahebhyo viratih] himsa, jhutha, cori, maithuna aura parigraha arthat padarthom ke prati mamatvarupa parinamana-ina pamca papom se (buddhipurvaka) nivritta hona so [vratam] vrata hai |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

At the beginning of Chapter-5, while describing influx (āsrava), it was said, in general, that virtuous (śubha) activity is the cause of merit (puṇya). Now the virtuous (śubha) activity is explained specifically.

It has been described in later sūtra(s) that injury (hiṃsā) is severance of vitalities out of passion, and so on. Abstaining from these is called the vow (vrata). The vow (vrata) is a deliberately declared and self-imposed observance. For instance, it can be a declaration in form of ‘this must be done’ or ‘this must not be done’. A contention is raised. The dispositions of injury (hiṃsā), etc., are not permanently present; how can these be the factors-of-action (kāraka)^[1] that are dislodged (apādāna)? The answer is that in desisting from these dispositions deliberately, there is permanence in dislodgement. Hence these become the factors-of-action (kāraka) that are dislodged (apādāna). Let us take the following example. A man desists from virtue. He reflects that virtue is difficult to be practised and its fruit is imaginary, that is, a matter of faith only. In the same manner, another man who is far-sighted reflects as follows. The thoughts of injury, etc., are the causes of sin or demerit. And those who indulge in sinful activities are punished here itself by the king and his authorities, and are also subjected to suffering later (in the next world). Thus, with his discriminating knowledge, he desists from injury, etc. Therefore, when the person desists from such activities using intellect or discrimination, it is appropriate to attribute permanence to dislodgement (apādāna), which is a factor-of-action (kāraka).

The word ‘desisting’ (abstaining) is added to every one of the terms–desisting from injury, desisting from falsehood, desisting from stealing, desisting from unchastity, and desisting from attachment-to-possessions. Non-injury is mentioned first as it is the most important of the vows. Just as the surrounding fence protects the corn, similarly, truth, etc., safeguard the vow of non-injury (ahiṃsā). From the point of view of ‘sāmāyika cāritra’ (see sūtra 9-18)–equanimity or concen-tration of mind wherein one desists from all harmful activities–the vow is one. And from the standpoint of reinitiation (chedopasthapanā cāritra) the same vow is spoken of as fivefold, as mentioned here. Now, is it not improper to describe non-injury, etc., as the causes of the influx (āsrava), as these are included in the causes of stoppage (saṃvara)? Self-control (gupti) and regulation-of-activities (samiti) are mentioned as the causes of stoppage (saṃvara) of influx (see sūtra 9-2). Also, among the ten moral virtues or discipline–dasa dharma–self-restraint (saṃyama) is included; and self-restraint (saṃyama) must include the vow (vrata). But there is no contradiction. There the reference is to the dissociation (nivṛtti) aspect of the stoppage (saṃvara) of influx (āsrava) which is characterized by abstinence. Here it is the indulgence (pravṛtti) aspect of active life that is emphasized. When violence, falsehood, stealing, unchastity and attachment are discontinued, non-violence, truth, non-stealing, chastity and detachment are practised. And it facilitates stoppage (saṃvara) of influx (āsrava) through self-control (gupti), and so on. The ascetic who practises the vows easily stops the influx (āsrava). Hence the vows are mentioned here separately. Now, should not the sixth minor-vow (aṇuvrata) of abstaining from eating at night be added here? No. It is included among observances for the vow of non-injury (ahiṃsā). These are enumerated later (see sūtra 7-4). Among these is mentioned the practice of examining the food before eating to see that there are no organisms in it–ālokitapānabhojana. This encompasses abstaining from eating at night.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Factors-of-action (kāraka) are of six kinds:

1. the doer (kartā),
2. the activity (karma),
3. the instrument (karaṇa),
4. the bestowal (saṃpradāna),
5. the dislodgement (apādāna), and
6. the substratum (adhikaraṇa).

Each of these is of two kinds:

1. empirical sixfold factors-of-action (vyavahāra ṣaṭkāraka) and
2. transcendental sixfold factors-of-action (niścaya ṣaṭkāraka).

(see ‘Pravacanasāra’, p. 21-23).