The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 2 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Religion
The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 2 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Iran -- Religion; Religions
The author of this book affirms he has seen a great number of Srivaras
and their followers. From them he knew _Meher chand_, a _Lúnú_, in the
year 1056 of the Hejira (1646 A. D.), in Dotárah, which is under the
dominion of Jodpur Márawár, he found also Síva rama, a Pujári, in
Mírta, which place belongs to Marawar, and one named _Jagna_, a
Banian, in Ráwel Pandi: he was adorned with all the good qualities of
Jatis. When he saw a bird in the hands of a fowler, he bought it of
him and set it free. This sect do whatever they can for the liberation
of living beings. Many of them are rájas in several places and
countries. When one brings a goat which he has bought somewhere, and
is disposed to kill it, they come from their shops and buy the animal
at a high price; thus it has been seen that, having assembled from all
hands a great number of sheep, they appointed a person to take care of
them. It is said, that in Guzerat lived a Banian who was a Jati; one
day, a Muselman Durvish sat down before his shop, and having picked
vermin from his coat, was about to kill it; the Banian interposed; the
Durvish said: “If thou wilt give me something, I may spare it;” the
Banian offered a _pie_;[373] the other wanted more and more, until the
bargain closed with the sum of one hundred rupees, which the Banian
paid for the liberation of the offensive insect. Hafiz Shirázi says:
“Avoid hurting any living animal, and do whatever thou likest,
For in my book of laws there is no crime but this.”
[369] More correctly Yatis. See note, p. 195. This section
appears to apply more properly to the _Jainas_, that is, to
one of the great divisions of the followers of Buddha. The
Jainas are subdivided into a great number of tribes and
religious sects, a long series of which is enumerated in the
work quoted by Lieut.-Col. Miles (p. 351-363).
[370] In the note, p. 195, are mentioned the _Jatis_, or
_Yatis_, also called _Sévras_ among the Jainas of Guzerat
and Marwar. According to the same authority (Transact. R. A.
S., vol. III. p. 344), these are distinguished from the
_Sravakas_, as the laity of the Jainas are called in that
country. According to Major de la Maine (work quoted, vol.
I. p. 413), the Sravacs are the only considerable part of
the earlier Jains or Arhats. “Sravakas,” says Doctor
Buchanan Hamilton (_ibid._, p. 531), “is the name given to
the Jains in the districts of Bahar and Patna.” The three
authors just quoted agree in stating that the priests of the
Sravakas are called Yatis. The Dabistan reads سريوره,
_Srivarah_, which may be correct श्री वर “the elect of
happiness.”
[371] _Lunchîta-kéśa_, “hair-pluckers,” is one of the
nicknames given to the _Swétámbaras_, “clad in white,” a
sect of the Jainas――(_Colebrooke_, work quoted, p. 551).
[372] “A householder.”
[373] The natives reckon 64 pies to the rupee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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