What was the knowledge, what the faith, and what the conduct of the son of Gnatri? If you know it truly, O monk, tell us as you have heard it, as it was told you! (2)

This wise and clever great sage possessed great knowledge and great faith. Learn and think about the Law and the piety of the glorious man who lived before our eyes! (3)

This wise man had explored all beings, whether they move or not, on high, below, and on earth, as well as the eternal and transient things. Like a lamp he put the Law in a true light. (4)

He sees everything; his knowledge has got beyond the lower stages; he has no impurity; he is virtuous, of a fixed mind, the highest, the wisest in the whole world; he has broken from all ties; he is above danger and the necessity to continue worldly life. (5)

Wandering about without a home, crossing the flood of this world, wise, and of an unlimited perception, without an equal, he shines forth like the sun, and he illumines the darkness like a brilliant fire. (6)

The sage, Kasyapa, has proclaimed this highest Law of the righteous teachers; he, the illustrious one, is prominent among men like the chief among the angels of heaven. (7)

His knowledge is inexhaustible like the water of the sea; he has no limits and is pure like the great ocean; he is free from passion, unfettered, and brilliant. (8)

By his vigour he is the most vigorous; as the best of all mountains, or as heaven, a very mine of delight, he shines forth endowed with many virtues. (9)

A mountain a hundred thousand yojanas high, rising ninety-nine thousand yojanas above the ground, and reaching one thousand below it; (10)

It touches the sky and is immersed in the earth; it has the colour of gold, and contains many lovely parks; on it the blessed enjoy themselves. (11)

This mountain is distinguished by many names; it has the colour of burnished gold; it is the greatest of all mountains, difficult to ascend on account of its rocks; this excellent mountain is like a part of the earth on fire. (12)

The king of mountains, standing in the centre of the earth, is seen in a pure light like that of the sun. With such beauty shines forth this many-coloured, lovely mountain, which is crowned with radiance. (13)

Thus is described the glory of the great mountain; similar to it is the ascetic, son of Gnatri, who is noble, glorious, full of faith, knowledge, and virtue. (14)

As one mountain is the best of long-stretched mountains, and another of circular ones, so is he among sages the wisest in the world, according to the declaration of the wise ones. (15)

After having taught the highest Law he practised the highest contemplation, which is the purest of pure, pure without a flaw, thoroughly white, as it were, like mother-of-pearl and the moon. (16)

Having put away all his sins, the great sage by his knowledge, virtue, and faith reached the insurpassable, highest perfection, a state which has a beginning but no end. (17)

As the silk-cotton tree is most famous among trees, as the garden of delight is among parks, so is the knower of the truth most famous through his knowledge and virtue. (18)

As thunder is the loudest of sounds, as the moon is the most glorious of heavenly bodies, as sandal is the best of perfumes, so of monks is he who had renounced all wishes or plans. (19)

As the ocean is the best of seas, as the juice of sugarcane is, as it were, the flag of juices, so is he the flag of monks by his austerities. (20)

As the elephant is the best of beasts of burden, the lion of beasts, the Ganges of rivers, as the eagle is the best of birds, so is the son of Gnatri the best of those who have taught the way to salvation. (21)

As the foremost of warriors is the most famous of warriors, as the lotus is the best of flowers, as the bravest is the best of the warriors, so Vardhamana is the best of sages. (22)

As giving safety is the best of gifts, as the best of true speeches is that which causes no distress, as chastity is the highest of austerities, so is the ascetic, son of Gnatri, the highest of men. (23)

As the long-lived angels are the highest of those who live very long, as the highest abode is the best of heavenly abodes, as salvation is the chief object of the Law, so there is no wiser man than the son of Gnatri. (24)

He bears everything like the earth; he wipes out his sins; he is free from greed; he, the knower of the truth, does not keep store of anything; he has crossed the ocean of life like the sea: he, the hero, who grants protection to all, and whose perception is infinite. (25)

Having conquered the passions which defile the soul: wrath, pride, deceit, and greed, the great sage does not commit any wrong, nor does he cause it to be committed. (26)

He understood the doctrines of the Kriyavadins, of the Akriyavadins, of the Vainayikas, and of the Ajnanavadins; he had mastered all philosophical systems, and he practised control as long as he lived. (27)

He abstained from women, and from eating at night, he practised austerities for the removal of pain, he knew this world and that beyond; he renounced everything at every time. (28)

Having heard and believing in the Law, which has been proclaimed and taught by the righteous teacher, and has been demonstrated with arguments, people will either make an end of their worldly misery, or they will attain a high rank in the Garden. (29)

Thus I say.

Seventh Lecture

Called

Description Of The Wicked

Earth, water, fire, wind; grass, trees, and corn; and the movable beings, namely the oviparous, viviparous, those generated from dirt, and those generated in fluids; (1)

These classes of living beings have been declared; know and understand that they all desire happiness; by hurting these beings men do harm to their own souls, and will be called to account for it again and again. (2)

Every being born high or low in the scale of the living creation, among movable and immovable beings, will meet with its death. Whatever sins the evildoer commits in his life, for them he must die. (3)

In this world or in the next the sinners suffer themselves what they have inflicted on other beings, a hundred times, or suffer other punishment. Living in the world they ever acquire new sins, and suffer for their misdeeds. (4)

Some leave their mother and father to live as ascetics, but they use fire; the messenger says: "People are wicked who kill beings for the sake of their own pleasure." (5)

He who lights a fire kills living beings; he who extinguishes it kills the fire. Therefore a wise man who well considers the Law should light no fire. (6)

Earth contains life, and water contains life; jumping or flying insects fall in the fire; dirt-born vermin and beings living in wood: all these beings are burned by lighting a fire. (7)

Sprouts are beings possessed of natural development, their bodies require nourishment, and all have their individual life. Reckless men who cut them down out of regard for their own pleasure destroy many living beings. (8)

By destroying seeds, when young or grown up, a careless man does harm to his own soul. The messenger says: "People are wicked who destroy seeds for the sake of their own pleasure." (9)

Men die as embryos, or as babies who do not yet talk, or who do so already; other men, as boys wearing five tufts of hair, or as youths, or in middle age: at the expiration of their life all leave the body and die. (10)

Wake up, men! If we look at the dangers to which he is exposed a fool has not much chance to make good use of this human life; always suffering like men in fever, people will go to utter misery. (11)

Some say that perfection is reached by abstaining from the seasoner of food, namely salt, others by the use of cold water, that is by ablutions, others again by tending a fire. (12)

Perfection is not reached by bathing in the morning, nor by abstention from acids and salt; but by drinking liquor or eating meat or garlic men fall into a state other than perfection. (13)

Those who, touching water in the morning and evening, contend that perfection is obtained through water are easily refuted. For if perfection could be obtained by contact with water, many beings living in water must have reached perfection: (14)

Fishes, tortoises, aquatic snakes, cormorants, otters, and demons living in water. The clever ones declare those to be wrong who maintain that perfection may be obtained through water. (15)

If water did wash off impure deeds, it must take off merit too. But this assertion of the heretics has no foundation but their wish. As a blind man follows a guide and misses his goal, so a fool who makes ablutions as a means of reaching salvation kills living beings. (16)

If water did wash off the sins of him who committed them, some would have obtained perfection who killed water-beings. Therefore he is wrong who maintains the attainment of perfection through water. (17)

Those who, lighting fire in the morning and evening, contend that perfection is obtained through fire are easily refuted. For if thereby perfection could be obtained, mechanics also, who use fire, would be saved. (18)

Perfection cannot be established by such gratuitous assertions; those who have not learned the truth will come to harm. A wise man, who knows the truth, should know and understand that all beings desire happiness. (19)

All creatures who have committed sins wail, suffer, and tremble. Considering this a wise monk who has ceased to sin, and guards his own self, should abstain from violence with regard to movable and immovable beings. (20)

He who keeps a store of rightly-obtained food and eats it; he who makes ablutions with pure water, contracting his limbs; he who washes and adorns his clothes, is far from being a naked monk. (21)

A wise man, seeing that it is sinful to use water, should live on pure water, till he is released from this world; not eating seeds and bulbs, he abstains from bathing and the like, and from women. (22)

He who, after having left father, mother, house, sons, cattle, and wealth, visits houses where he gets nice food, is far from being an ascetic. (23)

He who visits houses where he gets nice food, who professes the Law, desirous only of filling his belly, and brags of himself for the sake of food, is not equal to the hundredth part of a noble man. (24)

A miserable man, who becomes a monk in order to get food from others, and a flatterer by the desire of filling his belly, will, in no remote future, come to harm, even as a boar greedy of wild rice. (25)

The servile man says pleasing things for the sake of food, drink, and other things: but wrong belief and bad conduct are worthless like chaff. (26)

He should beg where he is unknown, and maintain himself by it; he should not seek fame and respect by his austerities; he should not desire pleasant sounds and colours, but conquer his longing for all kinds of pleasures. (27)

A monk should avoid every attachment and bear every pain, be full of wisdom, not greedy, wander about homeless, give assurance of safety to all beings, and be free from passions. (28)

In order to be able to practise control a monk should eat; he should desire to get rid of sin; if he suffers pain, he should have recourse to control, and subdue the foe at the head of the battle, as it were. (29)

Though beaten he should be like a plank; he should wait for the advent of death; having wiped out his sins he should not again mix with the world, but be rather like a car whose axle is broken. (30)

Thus I say.

Eighth Lecture

Called

On Exertion

It is said that two definitions of exertion are given; but in what does the exertion of the virtuous consist, and how is it defined? (1)

Some say that it consists in works, and the pious say that it consists in abstention from wrongful works. Men appear divided into two classes from this point of view. (2)

Carelessness is called the cause of sin, carefulness that of the contrary, namely absence of sin; when the one or the other is predicated of a man, he is called either a fool or a wise man. (3)

Some learn sciences which teach the destruction of living beings, others study spells for killing all sorts of creatures. (4)

Deceivers practise deceit in order to procure themselves pleasures and amusement; they kill, cut, and dismember beings for the sake of their own comfort. (5)

The careless commit sins by thoughts, words, and acts, with regard to this and the next world, both by doing the act themselves and by making others do it. (6)

A cruel man does cruel acts and is thereby involved in other cruelties; but sinful undertakings will in the end bring about misery. (7)

Sinners, subject to love and hate and doing wrong, acquire guilt arising from passions and commit many sins. (8)

Thus the exertion leading to wrongful works of the sinners has been described; now learn from me the wise men's exertion not leading to wrongful works. (9)

A pious monk, who is free from bonds and has severed all fetters, wipes out his bad deeds, and removes definitely the thorn of sin. (10)

Following the right doctrine he exerts himself; as one becomes more and more the receptacle of misery, so his bad thoughts increase. (11)

Those who have good places in the Garden must surely leave them some time. We live together with relations and friends but a limited time. (12)

Considering this, a wise man should conquer his greed, and enter upon the noble path, which contains all virtues and is not blamed. (13)

Whether he know the pith of the Law by intuition or through instruction, a houseless monk should exert himself and abstain from sins. (14)

When a wise man, in whatever way, comes to know that the apportioned space of his life draws towards its end, he should in the meantime quickly learn the method of dying a religious death. (15)

As a tortoise draws its limbs into its own body, so a wise man should cover, as it were, his sins with his own meditation. (16)

He should draw in, as it were, his hands and feet, his mind and five organs of sense, the effect of his bad deeds, and every bad use of language. (17)

The virtuous exert themselves with regard to the distant end, namely salvation. One should live indifferent to one's own happiness, calm, and without any attachment. (18)

Do not kill living beings, do not take what is not freely given, do not talk false, treacherous speech! This is the Law of him who is rich in control. (19)

Do not desire by words or thoughts what is a transgression of the Law; guarding yourself in all ways, and subduing the senses, practise control. (20)

A man who guards his self and subdues his senses abhors all sins, past, present, and future ones. (21)

Benighted men of wrong faith, though they be renowned as heroes, exert themselves in a bad way, which will have, in all respects, evil consequences for them. (22)

Wise men of right faith, who are renowned heroes, exert themselves in a good way which will have no evil consequences whatever for them. (23)

Penance is of no good if performed by noble men who have turned monks for the sake of fame; but that penance of which nobody else knows anything is meritorious. Do not spread your own fame! (24)

A pious man should eat little, drink little, talk little; he should always exert himself, being calm, indifferent, a subduer of his senses, and free from greed. (25)

Meditating and performing religious practices, abandoning his body, regarding forbearance as the paramount duty, a monk should wander about till he obtains salvation. (26)

Thus I say.

Ninth Lecture

Called

The Law

What is the Law that has been preached by the wise ascetic, Mahavira? Learn from me the noble Law of the righteous teachers as it is. (1)

Scholars, warriors, traders, outcastes, hunters, merchants, labourers, and others who are accustomed to do acts; (2)

The iniquity of all these men who cling to property goes on increasing; for those who procure themselves pleasures by sinful acts will not get rid of misery. (3)

After a man has done acts which cause the death of living beings, his pleasure-seeking relations take possession of his wealth, whilst the doer of the acts must suffer for them. (4)

"Mother, father, daughter-in-law, brother, wife, and sons will not be able to help me, when I suffer for my own deeds." (5)

Taking to heart this truth from which flow the most important truths, a monk, without property and without egoism, should follow the teaching of the righteous teachers. (6)

Leaving his wealth, sons, relations, and property, leaving sorrow that never ceases, a monk should wander about without any worldly interests. (7)

Earth, water, fire, and wind; grass, trees, and corn; oviparous animals, the two kinds of viviparous animals; beings engendered in fluids and in dirt, and plants; (8)

These six classes of living beings a wise man should know and treat tenderly, in thoughts, words, and acts; he should neither do actions nor desire property whereby he might do them any harm. (9)

Untrue speech, unlawful sexual intercourse, personal property, taking things that are not freely given: all these causes of injury to living beings a wise man should abstain from. (10)

Deceit, greed, anger, and pride: combat these causes of sin; a wise man should abstain from them. (11)

Washing, dyeing, making urine, evacuation of the bowels, vomiting, anointing of the eyes, and whatever is contrary to the rules of conduct: from all this a wise man should abstain. (12)

Perfumes, wreaths, bathing, cleansing of the teeth, property, actions referring to women: from all this a wise man should abstain. (13)

Alms that have been prepared, or bought, or stolen, or brought for the sake of a monk, or alms that contain particles of the above mentioned, or such alms as are unacceptable for one cause or other, from all these a wise man should abstain. (14)

Invigorating food, anointing of the eyes, greed, damaging others, washing one's limbs, rubbing them with Lodhra-powder and the like: from all this a wise man should abstain. (15)

Deliberating with laymen, praising their work, answering their questions, eating the householder's meals: from all this a wise man should abstain. (16)

He should not learn to play chess, he should not speak anything forbidden by the Law; a wise man should abstain from fights and quarrels. (17)

Shoes, an umbrella, dice, chowries, working for another, helping each other: from all this a wise man should abstain. (18)

A monk should not void his excrements or urine among plants; he should never rinse his mouth, even with distilled water, after having removed everything endowed with life. (19)

He should never eat or drink out of a householder's vessel; nor wear his clothes, especially if he

is a naked monk: from all this a wise man should abstain. (20)

A stool or bed or a seat in a house, asking of news and recollection of past sports: from all this a wise man should abstain. (21)

Fame, glory, and renown; honours and respectful treatment; all pleasures in the whole world: from all this a wise man should abstain. (22)

A monk should be content with such food and drink as will sustain his life; he should give a portion of it to others: from all this a wise man should abstain. (23)

Thus spoke the unfettered one, the great sage Mahavira; he who possesses great knowledge and faith has taught the Law and the sacred texts. (24)

In speaking a monk should use as few words as possible; he should not delight in another's foibles; he should avoid deceiving speech, and should answer after ripe reflection. (25)

One will repent of having used the third kind of speech; a secret should not be made known. This is the commandment of the unfettered. (26)

A monk should not call one names, nor "friend," nor by his family name; "thou, thou" is vulgar; never address one by "thou!" (27)

A virtuous monk should never keep company with the wicked; for thereby he incurs dangers for his conduct disguised as pleasures. A wise man should be aware of them. (28)

A monk should not stay in the house of a householder except by constraint; nor should he amuse himself too long by looking at the sports of the children of the village. (29)

Not desirous of fine things, he should wander about, exerting himself; not careless in his conduct, he should bear whatever pains he has to suffer. (30)

If beaten, he should not be angry; if abused, he should not fly into a passion; with a placid mind he should bear everything and not make a great noise. (31)

He should not enjoy pleasures though they offer themselves; for thus he is said to reach discernment. He should always practise what is right to do in the presence of the enlightened ones. (32)