External Austerities (Tapas)

I. Tatvarthasutra mentions six types of external austerities^[1]. They are fasting, reduced diet and special restrictions while accepting food from a household, giving up stimulating and delicious dishes, lonely habitation and mortification of the body. They are explained as under:

a) Anasan (Fasting): It is going without food or not eating for aspecified time.

b) Avamaudarya or Unodari: It insists on eating less than needed. With this, spiritual aspirants, when they don”t get enough to eat, with little empty stomach can stay unperturbed.

c) Vrtti-sanksep or Vrtti Samkhyan is curtailing desires or eating within the limits of predetermined restrictions of material, area, time and mode. Number and type of materials to be used is curtailed here. One has to remain satisfied inspite of all these restrictions. One can not go for spiritual development without contentment and tranquility of mind in all circumstances.

d) Rasatyaga or Ayambila is relinquishing tasty food. Give up attachment for the taste, as it is unsatiable craze. Hankering for taste does not allow a person peace of mind. Diet should not create a hurdle on the spiritual path. Detail of “Ayambil tap” is given later in this chapter.

e) Kaya-klesa is tolerating or bearing physical pain voluntarily. It is a physical hardship. Meditation with Kaya-klesa in Kayotsarga mudra inspires the aspirant to get detached from the body and focused on the soul.

f) Sallinata or Viviktasayyasan is staying in forlon place, occupying minimum space and braving discomfort.

Varieties of external austerities:

Varieties of external austerities or also called as Tapasyas in Jainism are of following types in ascending order:

i) Navkarsi: Taking food or water only 48 minutes after sunrise.

ii) Porsi: Taking food or water only three hours after sunrise.

iii) Sadh-porsi: Taking food or water only 4.5 hours after sunrise.

iv) Purimiddha: Taking food or water only six hours after sunrise.

v) Avadhdh: Taking food or water only nine hours after sunrise.

vi) Chauvihar / Tivihar: One must not take anything after sunset or only water once.

vii) Biyasana: Taking food only twice a day in one seat, one place. Boiled water only between Sunrise and Sunset.

viii) Ekasana: Taking food only once a day in one seat, one place. Boiled water only between Sunrise and Sunset.

ix) Ayambil: Taking food only once, while sitting at one place. The food has no taste, spices, milk, sugar, oil or any vegetables or fruits.

x) Upavasa: One must not take any food for about 32 hours for one fast i.e. from previous night to next morning of the day of Upavas. In Tivihar Upavas, boiled water can be taken between sunrise and sunset only. In Chauvihar Upavas, even water also is not allowed.

xi) Chhath: Upavas for two consecutive days

xii) Attham: Upavas for three consecutive days

xiii) Atthai: Upavas for eight consecutive days

xiv) Masaksaman: Upavas for thirty consecutive days (only on boiled water for one month)

xv) Varsi-tapa: Alternate days Upavas for fourteen months.

xvi) Navpad Oli: Twice in every year Ayambil as mentioned in ix) done for nine consecutive days. Sometimes, it is restricted to one type of grain only in a day. External tapa is important as far as it is helpful and is conducive to internal tapa. The actual tapa for Nirjara is internal tapa. Such Tapa in the form of various types of fasting called as “Upavas” is very popular among Jains. “Upa” means closer and

“Vas” means abode. Thus Upavas really means abiding in proximity with or in tune with the soul. If a person sincerely tries to stay in accordance with the real nature of soul, he cannot indulge in any sense of craving or aversion and can reach up to a higher level of Nirjara. When someone observes the penance of Upavas, he should spend his day in meditation, prayers and spiritual activities.

Austeriries bring a sense of detachment towards worldly pleasures as they are ephemeral and nothing stays forever. Without the sense of detachment and acute desire for liberation, it would be hard to adhere to the restraints.

The main purpose of observing all these above referred austeritiesis to enable oneself for internal austeriries.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Acharya Umaswati, Tattvarth-Sutra, JAINA and Shrut Ratnakar, Ahmedabad, 2007,
anaśānāvamodaryavṛttiparisaṃkhyānarasaparityagaviviktasayyāsanakāyakleśā bāhya tapaḥ | T.S. 9.19