Chapter-26 - Sadhu Parmeshthi (Saint Parmeshthi

1. Who is called Sadhu Parmeshthi ?

The ascetics who continuously persevere to follow the road to salvation (Moksha-marg) consisting of gems-trio of right belief, right knowledge and right action and keep themselves aloof from all types of endeavours consisting of violence and attachments (belongings) and assume full nudity; who remain absorbed in knowledge, meditation and penance, are called Sadhu Parmeshthi'.

2. How many 'Moolaguna' are there of Sadhu Parmeshthi ?

There are '28 Moolguna' (fundamental or essential restraints or virtues) of Sadhu Parmeshthi - 5 great vows, 5 Samiti (carefulness ,i.e. keeping vigilance in activities), 5 Indriya Nirodha (sensual restraints), 6 Avashyaka (indispensables/essentials) and 7 other (remainder/virtues) attributes.

3. What are synonymous names of 'Sadhu Parmeshthi' ?

Shramana, Sainyata, Veetraga, Rishi, Muni, Sadhu and Angar.

1. Shramana - Being involved in austerities they enrich and endow their soul with exertion and deligence (power to do hard penance and labour).
2. Sainyata - They make passion and senses quieted that is why they are called Sainyata'.
3. Veetraga - Veet, i.e. of whom the attachment has destroyed, are called Veetraga.
4. Rishi - They attain seven 'Riddhi', that is why are called 'Rishi'.
5. Muni - They contemplate the soul or other matter substances therefore, they are called 'Muni'.
6. Sadhu - They accomplish the gems-trio (right belief, right knowledge and right action), that is why they are called Sadhu.
7. Angar - They do not reside in any particular fixed place, therefore are called 'Angar'.

4. What is 'Mahavrata' (great vow) and how many are its kinds ?

Relinquishing violence ,etc. five sins with mind, speech and body, also abandoning by self performing, getting done by others or approving thereof, are great vows of great persons. There are five kinds of 'Mahavratas' -

1. 'Ahinsa Mahavrata' - Not causing injury to any of the six kinds of the living beings with mind, speech and body and also by self performed, getting done by others or approving it and feeling compassion for all living beings, is 'Ahinsa Mahavrata'.
2. 'Satya Mahavrata' - Giving up false speech due to anger, greed, cowardice or fearfulness and jest and also desisting from speaking such true words which may cause suffering to others, is 'Satya Mahavrata'.
3. 'Achourya Mahavrata'- (Desisting from stealing) not accepting any thing without the permission or willingness of its owner, is 'Achourya Mahavirata'.
4. 'Brahmcharya Mahavrata' - Seeing an old woman, a female child or young woman or seeing their photo to consider them as mother, daughter or sister and abandoning in them the woman-like feeling of love and affection, is 'Brahmcharya Mahavirata'which is adorable in all the three universes.
5. 'Parigraha-tyaga Mahavrata' - Giving up 10 kinds of external and 14 kinds of internal 'Parigraha' (attachments and belongings) and not having feeling of my-ness (attachment/ infatuation) also in the equipments of abstinence, knowledge and excretions, is 'Parigrahatyaga Mahavrata'.

5. What is 'Samiti', enumerate its kinds ?

The Hindi words 'Samiti' is etymologically formed with two words -'Sam', i.e. real or true or just and 'Iti', i.e. movement or tendency, thus just or cautious movement is called Samiti'. To be cautious, careful and to take strenuous effort while walking, speaking. taking food, lifting and keeping (laying down) things and defecating excrements and urine for protecting organism (living beings), is Samiti. Samiti is of 5 kinds -

1. Iriya Samiti - Walking/moving in the day on the 'Prashuka' road (organismless road or road on which other persons have already moved) observing four hands (six feet) of road/ earth minutely, is called 'Iriya Samiti'. Observing road while walking/moving means moving carefully saving/protecting organism already moving on the road.
2. Bhasha Samiti - Bhasha Samiti is to speek benevolent, sweet and loving words abandoning slandering, blaming others and self praise. Just as the cloth is measured with meter and the grains are weighed with wieghts, likewise we should speak measuring our words, i.e. our sentences should not be too long nevertheless they should be solid and meaningful.
3. Eshana Samiti - The 'Eshana Samiti' is to take faultless/pure food in the house of a righteous noble class 'Shravaka' avoiding 46 faults and 32 obstructions (Antrai) in the manner prescribed for saints.
4. Adan-Nikshepan Samiti (Lifting and laying down things) - Adan-Nikshepan Samiti' is laying down and lifting 'Scriptures', 'Kamandalu', 'Pichhi', etc. equipment seeing them cautiously so that no organism is put to trouble.
5. Utsarga Samiti - The 'Utsarga Samiti'is to defecate excrement and urine in organismless place.

6. What is 'Panchendriya Nirodha' and how many are its kinds?

Relinquishing attachment & aversion in charming and disinteresting objects or sensual enjoyments of touch, taste, smell, eye and ear, is called of 'Panchendriya Nirodha'.

1. 'Sparshan Indriya Nirodha' - Not indulging in attachment-aversion in the objects of the sense of touch, i.e. in cold-hot, soft-hard, light-heavy, oily (greasy) and dry, is 'Sparshan Indriya Nirodha'.
2. 'Rasna Indriya Nirodha'- Not feeling attachment-aversion in the objects of the sense of taste, i.e. in sour-sweet, bitter-astringent and sharp-acrid taste, is 'Rasna Indriya Nirodha'.
3. 'Ghran Indriya Nirodha'- Not having attachment-aversion in the objects of the sense of smell ,i.e. in aroma and bad smell, is 'Ghran Indriya Nirodha'.
4. 'Chakshu Indriya Nirodha' - Not having attachment-aversion in the objects of the sense of eye, is 'Chakshu Indriya Nirodha'.
5. 'Shrotra Indriya Nirodha' - Not feeling attachment hearing sweet sounds, songs and lute ,etc. and not feeling aversion hearing harsh, defamatory, abusive words ,etc., is 'Shrotra Indriya Nirodha'.

7. What is Avashyaka (indispensable) and what are its kinds ?

1. Activities which are inevitable to be done bySadhu, are called 'Avashyaka'. Six activities are essential to be performed daily by the 'Sadhu' for safeguarding his Upyoga ,i.e. conscious flow. These very are called six 'Avashyaka'.
2. One who is not subjected to passions, attachment and aversion is called 'Avasha'i.e. unsubmissive and the conduct of that 'Avasha'is 'Avashyaka'.

The number of 'Avashyaka' is six -

1. 'Samta'/'Samayika' - Keeping equanimity in life and death, profit and loss pleasure - pain, etc., renouncing all types of volitional distortions of attachment-aversion and all external sinful-activities of violence, endeavours ,etc., is 'Samta'or 'Samayika'.
2. 'Stuti' - Hyming or praising of the attributes of 24 'Teerthankaras', is 'Stuti'.
3. 'Vandana' - Eulogizing mainly any one of 24 'Teerthankaras', and any one of 'Panch Parmeshthi', is 'Vandana'. It is performed three times in a day.
4. 'Pratikramana' - Criticizing/regretting faults committed in performing vows, is 'Pratikramana' or reciting 'My faults/defects may become false'. 'Tass michha me dukkadam' 'Pratikramana' is also performed three times in a day. 'Pratikramana' are of seven kinds - 'Daivsika' (of day), 'Ratrika' (of night), 'Iryapathika' (for faults committed in moving etc.), 'Pakshika' (for faults committed in 15 days (once in fifteen days), 'Chaturmasik' (for faults committed in Chaturmasa), 'Samvatsarika' (Varshika) i.e. yearly 'Pratikaramana' and 'Auttamarthika Pritikramana' (recounting the unexpiated sins regarding whole life and repenting for them).
5. 'Pratyākhyāna' - Expressing determination for not committing faults in future, is 'Pratayakhyana' or renouncing food ,etc. for limited period, is 'Pratyākhyāna'.
6. 'Kayotsarga'- Relinquishing for a limited period of time, the feeling of attachment to the body, is 'Kayotsarga'. 'Kayotsarga' means to make loose or relaxation. From this the strength of the body will be relaxed and the strength of the soul will be activated.

8. What are seven remainder attributes of monks ?

Non-bathing (Asnan vrata) sleeping on the earth (Bhumi Shayan) nudity (Achelakatva), plucking or uprooting of hair, (Keshlounch), single dieting (Ek Bhukti), Non-cleaning of teeth (Adant dhavan), taking food in standing posture without any support (Stithi Bhojana).

1. 'Asnan Vrata'- Relinquishing bathing. The body of the saints remain smeared with the sweat and dust. Many subtle organism remain there, these may not be killed, therefore, they do not take bath.
2. 'Bhumi Shayan' - Sleeping is essential for removing fatigue. They sleep on earth, rock, a wooden board, dry grass or a mat of interwoven strips of dry leaves or bamboo and none else, and take a little sleep on them.
3. 'Achelakatva' - Not to cover body with cloth, leather or leaves ,etc., i.e. to remain naked. Only directions are their clothes, i.e. they are sky-clad (Digamber).
4. 'Keshlounch' - The 'Keshlounch' is to uproot or pluck the hair of head, beard and moustache in the day with his own hands, accompanied by performing'Pratikramana'and observing fast on that day. The 'Keshlounch' is compulsory within a period of two to four months, performing within two months is excellent, within four months, is of low class and between two to four months is of medium category.
5. 'Ek Bhukti' - Taking food only once in 24 hours and that after three 'ghari'(72 minutes) of Sun-rise and before three 'ghari' of Sun-set. Of the remaining period food can be taken till three 'Muhurt' (2 hours 24 minutes), leaving apart the time of Samayika, is Ek Bhukti.
6. 'Adantdhavan' - Not cleansing teeth with finger, nail, twig, bark, tooth-powder, brush, paste etc., is 'Adantdhavan' 'moolguna' which is a protector of sensual restraint.
7. 'Stithi Bhojan' - Taking food standing all the while without any support of wall etc. While standing the gap between the feet may be 4 'Angul' (4 fingers breadth) or 4 'Angul' at the back-side and 4 'Angul' to 12 'Angul' at front-side. (Adipurana, 18/3)

9. How many 'Uttarguna' (secondary virtues of saints) are there of monks ?

'Uttarguna' of monks are 34. 12 penances and 22 'Parishahjaya' (victory over afflictions). Whether Acharya, Upādhyâya Parmesthi do not possess 28 'Moolguna'? Which 'Moolguna' the 'Sadhu Parmeshthi' follow the same 28 'Moolguna' are also followed by Acharya and Upādhyāya Parmesthi but there are respectively 36 & 25 additional 'Moolguna' of Acharya and Upādhyāya Parmesthi respectively.