THE JAINA CONCEPTION OF PANCHA- MAHAVRATAS AND THEIR HUMAN RELEVANCE (Jaina ethical values)

Dr k sunandeni, MA PhD, Bed DNo 7/122, Santhi Nagar, MR Palli Road, Tirupati - 517502

INTRODUCTION According to Jainism, morality comprises the exercise of five ethical principles. These principles are called Pancha Mahavratas. The values of the five great vows are recognized by the Upanishad thinkers as well as the Bauddhas. The principles of most of these are also recognized also in the commandments of the bible. The Jainas try to practice these with rigorously found elsewhere scarcely. These vows comprise the five mahavratas. PANCHA MAHAVRATAS The pancha mahavratas are Ahimsa, Satyam, Asatyam, Brahmacharyam and Aparigraha. Ahimsa It means non-violence.The Jaina attitude of ahimsa is the logical outcome of their meta physical theory of the potential equality of all souls. Non-violence must be practiced in thought, speech and action every one. We should not think others to take life. The Jainas tries to perform this duty in every minute act in life. Otherwise the vow of ahimsa cannot be fully maintained. Satyam It means truth. The vow of satya or truthfulness consists in speaking what is true, as well as pleasant and good. Without these qualifications the practice of truthfulness would be of little use as an aid to moral progress. It is pointed out that for the perfect maintenance of this vow; one must conquer greed, fear and anger and even restrain the habit of testing.

Asatyam It means non-stealing and abstinence from stealing. It is based on the idea of the sanctity of property. This vow consists in not taking what is not given the sanctity of the property of others, is recognized by the jainas. This vow, therefore, may be said to be logically inseparable from the vow of ahimsa. The sanctity of property being a logical sequence of the sanctity of life. Brahmacharyam This vow is generally interpreted as that of celibacy. But the jainas attaches to this also deeper meaning that raises the standard of this vow far above mere sexual self-continence. The vow of brahmacharya consists in abstaining from all forms of self-indulgence-external and internal, subtle and gross, mundane and extra-mundane, direct and indirect. Aparigraha It means abstinence from all attachment. The vow of aparigraha consists in abstaining from all attachment to sense objects of the five senses. Right knowledge faith and conduct jointly bring about liberation consisting in four fold perfection. Being free from the obstacles of matter, the soul realizes its inherent potentiality. It attains the fourfold perfection namely infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite power and infinite bliss. Among them ahimsa is the basic principle and the rest of them follow it. HUMAN RELEVANCE OF PANCHA-MAHAVRATAS Ahimsa, the main principle of jaina ethics, the five great vows form the basics of right conduct of human being many of the other steps recommended the mahavratas to repeat in different way of the basic principles of these five. The jaina doctrine of syadvada is an off-shoot of its practice of ahimsa. The Jaina ethics and the mahavratas are very important to our present generation, which is overwhelmed with scientific and technological life, but lacks spiritual and moral directions. The Jaina doctrine of mahavratas gives raise to the principles of ecological consciousness, respect for human life in all its forms and these ethical plans. It holds that individual can find his own highest good in working for the

good of all. We can face the multiple problems in human society today. Now-adays, it is very useful to learn the moral values to change the human life.

CONCLUSION
Morality comprises the exercise of five ethical principles called PANCHA MAHAVRATAS, VIZ. Ahimsa, Satyam, Asatyam, Brahmacharyam and Aparigraha. Ahimsa means non-violence and must be practiced in thought, speech and action every one. Satyam means truth and for the perfect maintainence of this vow, one must conquer greed, fear and anger and even restrain the habit of testing. Asatyam means non-stealing. The vow of brahmacharya consists in abstaining from all forms of self-indulgence-external and internal, subtle and gross, mundane and extra-mundane, direct and indirect. It means abstinence from all attachment. The vow of aparigraha consists in abstaining from all attachment to sense objects of the five senses and among them ahimsa is the basic principle and the rest of them follow it.