Jain guru ahar ke samay hath me “ahara mudra” kyon rakhte hain?

• Arth (mool meaning): Digambar sadhus ke liye ahar mudra haath ke angutho aur anya ungliyon ko saath jod kar bandh lene ka ek vishesh sanket hai. Is mudra ko pakadne se guru yeh darshate hain ki woh bhiksha (ann) ko svikar kar rahe hain aur khana lene ki prakriya shuddh aur hayati roop se surakshit hai. Haath ko bandhe rakhna is baat ki nishani hai ki khana lene ke dauran unka dhyan shuddha (noi galat soch/bol) aur ahimsa par kendrit hai. Digambar parampara mein is sthiti ko todna ya haath kholna khana na lene jaisa mana hota hai. Isliye guru apne aahar ke samay apna ahara mudra banaye rakhte hain. (Digambar monastic food-rituals ke hisab se)

• Aahar ke samay khadna ya khana sirf khada khana isliye kiya jata hai kyunki yeh jivit jivon par halat ke anukul sanket deta hai ki monk sahi swasth aur anukool roop se kha sakta hai; yadi vyakti ko thakan ho ya swasth theek na ho to usse “salekhana” ki avastha keval bhav-hin roop mein dikhaya jata hai. Isse yeh pata chalta hai ki aaj woh khana kha sakta hai ya nahi.

• Svetambar aur Digambar dono mein is mudra ki bhinna bhinnataen hoti hain: Digambar sadhon me ahara mudra aur aahar ki vidhi sabse vistrit aur nishchit roop se jani jaati hai (jo aaj bhi bahut pavitra maani jati hai). Svetambar parampara mein khane ki ritiyan thodi alag hoti hain, lekin ahar ke samay samman, shuddhi aur ahimsa ki dharna dono mein bhi bani rehti hai.

• Sarvottam uddeshya: is sab kuch ka mool uddeshya hai — ann ko pavitra, dayalu aur jagdopashi (par parasparopgraho jīvānām) drishti se dekhna; micro-jivon ki ghaati se bachna; aur bhakti, vinaya aur dharma ki pragati ko bhojan ke samay bhi jagrit rakhna.

Agar aap chahen to main is vishay par Digambar aur Shwetambar strot/arth ko aur spasht roop se dono paramparao ke ansaar likh sakta hoon.