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A monk or a nun on a begging-tour should not accept food, &c., in the following case: when, on the eighth or paushadha day, on the beginning of a fortnight, of a month, of two, three, four, five, or six months, or on the days of the seasons, of the junction of the seasons, of the intervals of the seasons, many Sramanas and Brâhmanas, guests, paupers, and beggars are entertained with food, &c., out of one or two or three or four vessels, pots, baskets, or heaps of food; such-like food which has been prepared by the giver, &c., (all down to) not tasted of, is impure and unacceptable. But if it is prepared by another person, &c. (see first lesson, § 13), one may accept it; for it is pure and acceptable. (1)

A monk or a nun on a begging-tour may accept food, &c., from unblamed, uncensured families, to wit, noble families, distinguished families, royal families, families belonging to the line of Ikshvâku, of Hari, cowherds' families, Vaisya families, barbers' families, carpenters' families, takurs' families, weavers' families; for such food, &c., is pure and acceptable. (2)

A monk or a nun on a begging-tour should not accept food, &c., in the following case: when in assemblies, or during offerings to the manes, or on a festival of Indra or Skanda or Rudra or Mukunda or demons or Yakshas or the snakes, or on a festival in honour of a tomb, or a shrine, or a tree, or a hill, or a cave, or a well, or a tank, or a pond, or a river, or a lake, or the sea, or a mine--when on such-like various festivals many Sramanas and Brâhmanas,

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guests, paupers, and beggars are entertained with food, &c. (all as in § 1, down to) acceptable. (3)

But when he perceives that all have received their due share, and are enjoying their meal, he should address 1 the householder's wife or sister or daughter-in-law or nurse or male or female servant or slave and say: 'O long-lived one! (or, O sister!) will you give me something to eat?' After these words of the mendicant, the other may bring forth food, &c., and give it him. Such food, &c., whether he beg for it or the other give it, he may accept; for it is pure and acceptable. (4)

When a monk or a nun knows that at a distance of more than half a yogana a festive entertainment 2 is going on, they should not resolve to go there for the sake of the festive entertainment. (5)

When a monk hears that the entertainment is given in an eastern or western or southern or northern place, he should go respectively to the west or east or north or south, being quite indifferent (about the feast); wherever there is a festive entertainment, in a village or scot-free town, &c. (see I, 7, 6, § 4), he should not go there for the sake of the festive entertainment.

The Kevalin assigns as the reason for this precept, that if the monk eats food, &c., which has been given him on such an occasion, he will incur the sin of one

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who uses what 1 has been prepared for him, or is mixed up with living beings, or has been bought or stolen or taken, though it was not to be taken, nor was it given, but taken by force. (6)

A layman 2 might, for the sake of a mendicant, make small doors large, or large ones small; put beds 3 from a level position into a sloping one, or from a sloping position into a level one; place the beds 3 out of the draught or in the draught; cutting and clipping the grass outside or within the upâsraya, spread a couch for him, (thinking that) this mendicant is without means for a bed 3. Therefore should a well-controlled Nirgrantha not resolve to go to any festival which is preceded or followed by a feast.

This certainly is the whole duty, &c. (see end of lesson I).

Thus I say. (7)


93:1 Puvvâm eva âloeggâ, he should first look at him or her (and then say).

93:2 Samkhadi, somewhere explained odanapâka, cooking of rice; in the commentary the following etymology is given: samkhandyante virâdhyante prânino yatra sâ samkhadi. But the Guzerati commentator explains it: gihâm ghanâ gan nimitti âhâra kelvivâ bhanâ.

94:1 This stands for âhâkammiya and uddesiya, pure and impure food prepared for a mendicant.

94:2 Asamgae, the uncontrolled one; it denotes a layman or a householder.

94:3 Seggâ = sayyâ, bed; but the scholiast explains it by vasati, dwelling, lodging.

Next: Book II, Lecture 1, Lesson 3