Uttaradhyayana Sutra

by Hermann Jacobi | 1895 | 69,629 words | ISBN-10: 8120801466 | ISBN-13: 9788120801462

The Englsih translation of the Uttaradhyayana Sutra which represents one of the Mulasutras in Shvetambara Jainism. The text consists of 36 chapters dealing with a variety of topics within Jainism such as doctrine and discipline. Alternative titles include: Uttarādhyayana-sūtra (उत्तराध्ययन-सूत्र), Uttarādhyayanasūtra (उत्तराध्ययनसूत्र)....

Chapter 26 - The Correct Behaviour

I shall declare the correct behaviour (sāmācārī) which causes freedom from all misery; by practising it the Nirgranthas have crossed the ocean of Saṃsāra. (1)

The correct behaviour of monks consists of (the following) ten parts: 1. āvaśyikā; 2. naiṣedhikī; 3. āprikkhanā; 4. pratiprikkhanā; 5. chandanā; 6. icchākāra; 7. mithyākāra; 8. tathākāra; 9. abhyutthāna; 10. upasampad. (2-4)

The āvaśyikā is required when he leaves a room (or the presence of other monks on some necessary business); the naiṣedhikī, on entering a place; āprikkhanā, (or asking the superior’s permission) for what he is to do himself; pratiprikkhanā, for what somebody else is to do; chandanā, (or placing at the disposal of other monks) the things one has got; icchākāra, in the execution (of one’s intention by oneself or somebody else); mithyākāra, in the blaming oneself (for sins committed); tathākāra, (assent) in making a promise; abhyutthāna, in serving those who deserve respect; and upasampad, in placing oneself under another teacher. Thus the twice fivefold behaviour has been declared. (5-7)

After sunrise during the first quarter (of the first Pauruṣī)[1] he should inspect (and clean) his things and pay his respects to the superior. (8)

Then, with his hands joined, he should ask him:

‘What shall I do now? I want to be employed, sir, in doing some work or in studying.’ (9)

If he is ordered to do some work, he should do it without tiring; if he is ordered to study, he should do it without allowing himself to be affected by any pains. (10)

A clever monk should divide the day into four (equal) parts (called pauruṣī), and fulfil his duties (uttaraguṇa) in all four parts. (11)

In the first Pauruṣī he should study, in the second he should meditate, in the third he should go on his begging-tour, and in the fourth he should study again. (12)

In the month Āṣāḍha the Pauruṣī (of the night) contains two feet (pada)[2]; in the month Pauṣa, four; in the months Caitra and Aśvayuja, three. (13)

(The Pauruṣī) increases or decreases a digit[3] (aṅgula) every week, two digits every fortnight, four digits every month. (14)

The dark fortnight of Āṣāḍha, Bhādrapada, Kārttika, Pauṣa, Phālguna, and Vaiśākha are known as avamarātrās[4]. (15) In the quarter of the year comprising the three months Jyeṣṭhāmūla, Āṣāḍha, and Śrāvaṇa, the (morning-) inspection is to last six digits (beyond ¼ Pauruṣī); in the second quarter, eight; in the third, ten; in the fourth, eight[5]. (16)

A clever monk should divide the night too into four parts, and fulfil his duties (uttaraguṇa) in all four parts. (17)

In the first Pauruṣī he should study, in the second he should meditate, in the third he should leave off sleep, and in the fourth he should study again. 08)

When the nakṣatra which leads the night[6] has reached the first quarter of the heaven, at dawn he should cease to study. (19)

When a small part of the quarter is left[7], in which the (leading) nakṣatra stands, during that space of time, being considered intermediate[8] (between two) days, a monk should watch. (20)

In the first quarter (of the first Pauruṣī) he should inspect (and clean) his things, pay his respects to his superior, and then begin to study, not allowing himself to be affected by any pains[9]. (21) In the (last) quarter of the first Pauruṣī, after paying his respect to the Guru, a monk should inspect his almsbowl, without, however, performing the Kāla-pratikramaṇa[10]. (22)

He should first inspect his mouth-cloth[11], then his broom[12], and taking the broom in his hand he should inspect his cloth. (23)

Standing upright he holds his cloth firmly and inspects it first leisurely, then he spreads it, and at last he wipes it. (24)

(He should spread the cloth) without shaking or crushing it, in such a way as to make the folds disappear, and to avoid friction of its parts against each other; he should fold it up six times in length, and nine times in breadth, and then he should remove living beings with his hand (spreading the cloth on the palm of his hand)[13]. (25)

He must avoid want of attention: 1. in beginning his work; 2. in taking up the corners of the cloth; 3. in folding it up; 4. in shaking out the dust; 5. in putting it down (on some other piece of cloth); 6. in sitting upon the haunches[14]. (26) (One must further avoid) to hold the cloth loosely, or at one corner, or so as to let it flap, or so as to subject it to friction, or so as to shake it in different ways, or if one has made a mistake in the number of foldings (see verse 25) to count (aloud or with the help of the fingers, &c.)[15] (27)

There should be neither too little nor too much of inspection, nor an exchange (of the things to be inspected); this is the right way to do (the inspection), all other methods are wrong:-- (28)

(This is) if one engaged in inspecting his things converses or gossips (with anybody), renounces something[16], teaches another his lesson, or receives his own lesson from another, (he neglects his inspection). (29)

He who is careful in the inspection, protects the six kinds of living beings, viz. the earth-bodies, water-bodies, fire-bodies, wind-bodies, plants, and animals. (30)

He who is careless in the inspection, injures the six kinds of living beings (just enumerated)[17]. (31)

In the third Pauruṣī he should beg food and drink, (he may do so) for any of the following six reasons: (32)

1. To prevent an illness; 2. to serve the Guru; 3. to be able to comply with the rules about walking[18]; 4. to be able to comply with the rules of self-control[19]; 5. to save one’s life; 6. to be able to meditate on the Law. (33)

A zealous Nirgrantha or Nirgranthī may omit to beg food for the following six reasons, when it will not be considered a transgression of his duties: (34)

1. In case of illness; 2. in case of a disaster; 3. to preserve one’s chastity and the Guptis; 4. out of compassion for living beings; 5. in the interest of penance; 6. to make an end of one’s life[20]. (35)

Taking his whole outfit a monk should inspect it with his eye; he then may walk about, but not beyond half a Yojana. (36)

In the fourth Pauruṣī he should put away his almsbowl (after having eaten his meal), and then begins his study which reveals all existent things. (37)

In the last quarter of the fourth Pauruṣī he should pay his reverence to the Guru, and after having performed Kāla-pratikramaṇa[21], he should inspect his lodging. (38)

A zealous monk should also inspect the place where to discharge his excrements and urine, and then (till the sun sets) he should go through Kāyotsarga without allowing himself to be affected by any pains. (39) Then he should, in due order, reflect on all transgressions he has committed during the day, with regard to knowledge, faith, and conduct. (40)

Having finished Kāyotsarga, and paid his reverence to the Guru, he should, in due order, confess his transgressions committed during the day. (41)

Then having recited the Pratikramaṇa Sūtra[22], and having annihilated his sins, he should pay his reverence to the Guru (asking absolution)[23], and go through Kāyotsarga without allowing himself to be affected by any pains. (42)

Having finished Kāyotsarga, and paid his reverence to the Guru, he should pronounce the customary (three) praises, and then wait for the proper time. (43)

In the first Pauruṣī (of the night) he should study; in the second he should meditate; in the third he should leave off sleep; and in the fourth he should study again[24]. (44)

In the fourth Pauruṣī he should wait for the proper time and then begin to study without waking the householders. (45)

In the last quarter of the fourth Pauruṣī he should pay his reverence to the Guru, and performing Kāla-pratikramaṇa[25] he should wait for the proper time. (46)

When the (time for) Kāyotsarga has arrived, he should go through it, without allowing himself to be affected by any pains. (47)

Then he should, in due order, reflect on all transgressions he has committed during the night with regard to knowledge, faith, and conduct. (48)

Having finished Kāyotsarga and paid his reverence to the Guru, he should, in due order, confess his transgressions committed during the night. (49)

Then having recited the Pratikramaṇa Sūtra &c. (see verse 41). (50)

He should consider what kind of austerities he will undertake. Having finished his Kāyotsarga, he pays his reverence to the Guru. (51)

Having finished Kāyotsarga and paid his reverence to the Guru, he should practise those austerities which he has decided upon, and praise the perfected saints. (52)

Thus has been summarily declared the correct behaviour, by practising which many souls have crossed the ocean of Saṃsāra. (53)

Thus I say.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The southern half of the sky or horizon, between east and west, is divided into four quarters, each of which corresponds in time to a pauruṣī, the fourth part of a day or a night.

[2]:

A pauruṣī is the fourth part of a day or a night; about the time of the equinoxes, when the day as well as the night contains twelve hours, the pauruṣī contains three hours. At the same time, in the months Kaitra and Āśvina, as we learn from our verse, the pauruṣī has three feet, padas. The pada therefore is equal to one hour exactly. The duration of the night at the summer solstice was therefore estimated at eight hours and at the winter solstice at sixteen, just as in the Vedic Jyotiṣa.

[3]:

A digit, aṅgula, is apparently the twelfth part of a foot, pada = one hour. The digit is therefore equal to five minutes.

[4]:

The fortnights, mentioned in the text, consist of fourteen days only, the remaining ones of fifteen days. In this way the lunar year is made to consist of 354 days.

[5]:

Or thirty, forty, fifty, forty minutes respectively.

[6]:

I.e. the nakṣatra which is in opposition to the sun, and accordingly rises at the same time with the setting sun, and sets with the rising sun, compare Rāmāyaṇa III, 16, 12.

[7]:

I.e. is about to set.

[8]:

Verattiya, translated vairātrika; but there is no such word in Sanskrit. It apparently stands for dvairātrika, belonging to two days. As the Hindus reckon the day from sunrise, the time immediately preceding it may be considered to belong to two days.

[9]:

Compare verse 8.

[10]:

I.e. expiation of sins concerning time, cf. Bhandarkar’s Report, p. 98, note ‡. It seems to consist in Kāyotsarga.

[11]:

This is a piece of muslin which the Jaina monks place before their mouth in speaking, in order to prevent insects being drawn in the mouth by the breath.

[12]:

It is here called gocchaga = gucchaka, originally a bunch of peacocks' feathers, it is so still, if I am not mistaken, with the Digambaras, whilst the Śvetāmbaras use other materials, especially cotton threads.

[13]:

Much in my translation is conjectural. There are some technicalities in these verses which I fail to understand clearly, notwithstanding the explanations of the scholiasts.

[15]:

I am not sure of having hit the true meaning. The commentators reckon this counting as a fault, while the text itself seems to enjoin it.

[16]:

Dei paccakkhānaṃ. The meaning is, I believe, that during the time of inspection one should not make up one’s mind to abstain from this or that because one is to devote one’s whole attention to the inspection of one’s things.

[17]:

The Dīpikā places this verse before the last and construes it with verse 29, making out the following meaning: if one, engaged in inspecting his things, converses or gossips, &c., then, being careless in the inspection, he injures, &c.

[18]:

Iriyaṭṭhāe; for one will not be careful about walking (īryā-samiti) if too hungry or thirsty.

[19]:

For one might eat forbidden food if too hungry.

[20]:

It may be remarked here that the verses 25, 16, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 29, 33, 34, 35 are in the Āryā-metre while the rest of the lecture is in Sloka.

[21]:

Compare note 1, p. 145.

[22]:

Paḍikamittu = pratikramya, explained pratikramaṇasūtram uktvā.

[23]:

According to the Dīpikā: having repeated the three Gāthās beginning āriyauvajjhāya.

[24]:

This verse is the same as verse 18, except a verbal difference in the last line.

[25]:

Paḍikamittu kālassa, see p. 145, note 1. The Dīpikā here explains this phrase by: doing acts proper for that time.

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