सागारधर्मामृत में भक्ष्य-अभक्ष्य का विवेचन

Summary

This article examines the concept of permissible and forbidden foods (bhakshya-abhakshya) as discussed in Pandit Ashadharaji's *Sagaradharmamrita*, a text on Jain householder conduct. It asserts that diet is fundamental to human life, influencing one's character and spiritual progress. For a spiritual seeker or householder, dietary discernment is crucial, guiding them toward a limited, balanced, and sattvic diet that supports self-discipline. The text outlines that a householder's food should be as per scripture, not harming the three jewels of right faith, knowledge, and conduct. Among the eight primary vows, alcohol, meat, honey, and five types of udumbara fruits (banyan, gular, peepal, pakar, and black gular/fig) are deemed forbidden due to causing both intentional and unintentional violence. Even dried versions of these are prohibited as they still contain dead organisms and foster attachment. The article details the reasoning: meat is impure, born from blood and semen, and its consumption inevitably involves killing; alcohol destroys virtues like truth and compassion; honey is produced through the destruction of bees and is considered impure; and udumbara fruits are perpetually inhabited by tiny beings. Pandit Ashadharaji refutes arguments equating meat with grains, noting grains lack blood and marrow. Other forbidden items include food stored in leather, butter after two hours, and various fermented or aged foods like pickles and old yogurt. The text also prescribes proper eating times, advocating for daytime meals after feeding dependents and the needy, and strictly prohibiting night meals due to increased passion, violence, and health risks. Even unfiltered water is discouraged.