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Vigay Nivayata Vivaran

Added to library: September 2, 2025

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First page of Vigay Nivayata Vivaran

Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Vigay Nivayata Vivaran" by Suyashchandravijay and Sujaschandravijay, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Vigay Nivayata Vivaran (Description of the Restricted and Non-Restricted Vices) Authors: Munishri Suyashchandravijay, Munishri Sujaschandravijay Publisher: ZZ_Anusandhan (as per the catalog link) Date of Publication (of the summary): September 2010

Overview:

The "Vigay Nivayata Vivaran" is a Jain text that describes and categorizes various types of food and substances that are considered either "Vigay" (restricted or indulged) or "Niviyata" (restricted to a certain extent or non-restricted within specific boundaries). The text focuses on these categories as they relate to Jain religious practices, particularly in the context of vows and abstinences (Pachchhakhan).

The work is presented as a poetic rendering in Hindi of the relevant sections (chapters 5 and 6) from a larger foundational text called "Pachchhakhan Bhashya". This earlier work, authored by Muni Vachchharaj, expounds on nine aspects of Pachchhakhan, including:

  1. Pachchhakhan Prakar (Types of Vows)
  2. Vidhi (Methodology)
  3. Ahar (Food)
  4. Aagar (Conditions)
  5. Vigay (Restricted substances)
  6. Niviyata (Partially restricted/non-restricted substances)
  7. Bhanga (Sections/Subdivisions)
  8. Shuddhi (Purity)
  9. Phal (Results)

Content of "Vigay Nivayata Vivaran":

The core of the presented work is the detailed explanation of "Vigay" and "Niviyata."

  • Vigay (Restricted Substances): These are generally considered temptations that can lead to spiritual downfall. They are divided into two main categories:

    • Four Maha-Vigay (Greatly Restricted Substances): These are considered particularly disruptive to the senses and the mind.
    • Six Samanya Vigay (General Restricted Substances): These are less potent than the Maha-Vigay.

  • Niviyata (Partially Restricted/Non-Restricted Substances): These are the six Samanya Vigay when they are modified or prepared in certain ways, or when they are associated with other substances. The text details 30 specific types of Niviyata, with five subdivisions for each of the six Samanya Vigay.

Authorship and Context:

  • The "Vigay Nivayata Vivaran" was composed by Munishri Vachchharaj, who was a disciple of Anandratnagani, who in turn was a disciple of Jinharsuriji of the Vad Kharatar Gachchha branch.
  • The work was created in Samvat 1887 (1830 AD) at the request of a laywoman named Nannibiki Shravika.
  • A copy of the manuscript was later written by the author himself in Samvat 1908 (1851 AD) for a ascetic named Mohan.
  • The text is a poetic rendering of the concepts from the "Pachchhakhan Bhashya."

Detailed Breakdown of Vigay and Niviyata (as presented in the verses):

I. The Ten Vigay (Restricted Substances) are identified as:

  1. Milk (Dudh)
  2. Curd (Dahi)
  3. Ghee (Ghee)
  4. Oil (Tel)
  5. Jaggery (Gud)
  6. Sweets/Confections (Pakwan)
  7. Honey (Madhu)
  8. Alcohol (Sura)
  9. Meat (Mans)
  10. Butter (Makhan)

II. Subdivisions of Vigay:

  • Maha-Vigay (Greatly Restricted): The text mentions six "Abhakshya" (inedible or to be strictly avoided) which are also considered Maha-Vigay. The "Pachchhakhan Bhashya" categorizes these into four.
  • Abhakshya Vigay: The text lists six "Abhakshya" in total, which are further detailed.

III. Specific Categories and their Niviyata:

The text then systematically explains the 30 Niviyata, categorized by the primary substance:

  • Milk (Dudh) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Payasadi: Milk heated with ingredients like grapes and almonds, resembling rabri.
    2. Peya: Milk cooked with a significant amount of rice.
    3. Avaleh: Milk cooked with rice flour.
    4. Dugdhati: Milk mixed with curd and amla (Indian gooseberry) juice.
    5. Payasaadi: (Likely a repetition or variation, possibly referring to milk with added fruits or dry fruits).

  • Curd (Dahi) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Karamb: Curd mixed with food items.
    2. Shikharini: Curd prepared with sweet juices and paste.
    3. Vade / Ghol: Curd mixed with vadas (fried fritters) or strained curd.
    4. Ghol: Strained curd.
    5. Dadhirayata: Curd mixed with salt, raisins, and other dry fruits.

  • Ghee (Ghee) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Nirbhanjan: Ghee remaining after cooking sweets.
    2. Vispandan: Ghee particles found in buttermilk.
    3. Sarpis (Pakva Ghrit): Ghee cooked with medicinal herbs.
    4. Kittak: The frothy layer or residue on boiled ghee.
    5. Adham Ghrit: (Implied to be impure or the lowest grade of ghee).

  • Oil (Tel) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Tilmalika / Tilakuti: Sesame oil residue or oil extracted from crushed sesame seeds mixed with jaggery.
    2. Nirbhanjan: Oil residue on top of cooked ghee (possibly a shared term or context-dependent).
    3. Tarika: Oil cooked with medicinal herbs.
    4. Lakshpak: Oil prepared with many medicinal herbs for treating various ailments.
    5. (The fifth Niviyata for oil is not explicitly listed as a separate point in the excerpt, but the general category is discussed.)

  • Jaggery (Gud) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Ikshuras: Unripe sugarcane juice cooked to a rabri-like consistency.
    2. Gulvani: Jaggery water.
    3. Sakara / Khand: Refined sugar.
    4. Pakgul: Jaggery residue wrapped around nuts or dried fruits.

  • Sweets/Confections (Pakwan) - 5 Niviyata:

    1. Kaduvigaya: Confections fried in ghee or oil, with residual flavors.
    2. Ghan: Confections after the initial frying process.
    3. Guladhani: Confections mixed with jaggery or sugar syrup.
    4. Jalaseki Lapsi: A sweet porridge or pudding.
    5. Puvva / Chillada: Fritters or pancakes made with leftover batter.

IV. Measurement and Principle of Niviyata:

  • The text provides a key principle for determining whether a substance falls under Niviyata or Vigaya: "Dudh, Dahi, Chawal upra, angul ek ju dekho khara, so jaano bhavi niviyata, adhiko hoy to vigayata." This means if a substance (like milk, curd, or rice) has a thin layer of ghee or oil about one finger's width on top, it is considered Niviyata. If it exceeds this, it is considered Vigaya.
  • Examples like "siro" (a sweet dish) and "lapsi" with ghee on top are used to illustrate this rule.
  • The text clarifies that the explanation of Vigaya and its subdivisions is based on the "Pachchhakhan Bhashya."

Colophon:

  • The work was completed in Samvat 1950 (1993 AD) in Delhi during the month of Margashirsha on the full moon day. (Note: There is a discrepancy between the date of composition (1830 AD) and the completion date mentioned in the colophon. This might refer to the completion of the manuscript transcription or a later recension.)
  • It acknowledges Shri Jinharsuriji and Anandratnagani as predecessors in the lineage.
  • The text is presented with reverence and a prayer for the welfare of beings.

Additional Information:

  • The provided excerpt includes a "Shabd Kosh" (Glossary) with meanings for various Gujarati words used in the text, such as "dain" (humility), "durdar" (door of sorrow), "than" (place), "chheli" (goat), "bhed" (sheep), "phun" (again), "sarsu" (mustard), "alasiv" (flaxseed), etc.
  • It also includes a "Vigay na Prakar che Yantra" (Diagram of Types of Vigay), which is a tabular representation of the categories, though the full diagram is not clearly decipherable from the provided text.

In essence, "Vigay Nivayata Vivaran" is a practical guide for Jain practitioners to understand the nuances of food restrictions and vows, providing a clear framework for distinguishing between what is permissible in limited quantities (Niviyata) and what is to be strictly abstained from (Vigay) in their spiritual journey.