Defilements due to Delivery and Death (Sūtaka - Pataka)

Defilements due to Delivery and Death (Sūtaka - Pataka)
The term ‘Sūtaka’ is defined as the defilements and the resulting prohibitions of duties like deital worship and food-offerings (to saints) etc. due to the delivery or birth of a child in the household. The defilement and the resulting prohibition due to the death in the household is known as Pātaka. These prohibitions during birth and death are sanctioned in scriptures. In general, the term ‘Sūtaka’ is used in both cases of delivery and death.

The family relatives have two varieties :
(1) immediate and

(2) distant.

The persons upto four preceeding generations are termed as ‘immediate relatives’ while others beyond four generations are termed as distant relatives. The deli very-based prohibitions last upto 10 days for immediate relatives. They last for 6 days for the fifth generation, 4 days for the sixth generation and 3 days for the seventh generation. There is no prohibitions for persons beyond seven generations. Similar prohibitions are admitted for the death in the household.

If the delivery-based prohibitions are already there in a family and if there is death in the same family, the prohibitions due to death are taken to be completed with the prohibition due to delivery. Similarly, if the death-based prohibitions are there and if there is birth in the same family, the prohibitions due to birth are taken as completed with the prohibitions due to death. If there is birth or death in the family in the last day of earlier prohibitions, they should be continued for two more days. If birth or death occur on the day after completion of the earlier prohibition, they should be continued for three more days.

There are no prohibitions for saints or austerites for the birth or death defilements. Similarly, there are no prohibitions for the family members of the saints on their death. If there is delivery in the king ’ s palace, it is made undefiled by bathing only. The kings do not have such prohibitions. There are no prohibitions on the death of minister, army-commander, king, slave and those dying due to natural calamities like famine etc.

If a pregnant woman has abortion within three months, there are prohibitions for three days only. If there is abortion between 3-6 months, there will be prohibition for the number of days based on the months of pregnancy. However, if there is abortion between 6-8 months, the prohibitions will apply for full ten days. The father becomes undefiled by bathing only.

If the new-born dies before the period of cutting of navel tube (Nabhi chedana), there are prohibitions for 10 days for the mother and the other relatives have 3-day prohibitions. If the child dies before 10 days, all have prohibitions for 10 days. The death on the last day of 10-day period earns two more days of prohibition. If the child dies the next day after the 10-day period, one should have three more days of prohibitions. If the child dies after 10 days, the parents and relatives have prohibitions for 10 days. The other relatives are purified by bathing only. If the child dies after tonsuring ceremony, there are prohibitions for 10 days to parents, 5 days to persons upto four generations and one day to persons of higher generations. If the child dies after the sacred-threading ceremony, there are prohibitions for 10 days for all relatives upto four generations.

If the new-born is a daughter, the undefilement is done by bathing only if she dies before tonsuring. If she dies before sacred-threading, there is one-day prohibition. If she dies before marriage, there is prohibition for three days. If the married daughter dies in her husband’s home, there is prohibition for two days for the parents, other relatives are purified by bathing only. However, there are prohibitions for 10 days for her husband’s family. If she dies of delivery in the house of her parents, there are 3-day prohibition for her parents. The husband’s family has one-day prohibitions. One should observe prohibitions for the remaining days after receiving the news of death of any member of the family in distant lands. If there is birth there and one gets news about it, one should have three-day prohibitions. If one gets the news of death of any family member after a year, one should purify himself by bathing only. This is the brief description of delivery / death - based defilement and the resulting prohibitions as per Trai-vamikācāra of Guṇabhadra.

Defilements during Menstruation of Women
The women undergoing monthly menses are termed as menstuating women. There is excess blood flow from them. They should not touch any thing during the menstmal days. They should also not visit temple and teachers. If the menses start from midnight, the prohibitions should be taken to start from the morning. The women under menses should not beautify themselves. They should observe celibacy. On the fourth day, they could undertake household activities along with going to the temple but they can do, Ahāradāna and worship etc. on the fifth or sixth day after menstruation stops fully.

If there are menses within 12 days of earlier menstruation, the woman may get undefiled by bathing only. If the menses start earlier then 18 days, still the women may be purified by bathing only. However, if the menses start on eighteenth day, the women should have prohibitions for two days. If menses occur after the eighteenth day, the prohibitions will apply for three days. If ladies with menses touch each other, they should cleanse themselves on the fourth day and seek disciplinary instructions from the Jaina female saints.

The women who do not observe prohibitions during the days of menstrual flow, touch all people and feed everyone after cooking by themselves, earn loss in their health and violate the religious tradition. They accumulate sins and loose their better rebirth. Hence, the women should observe prohibitions consciously during the three days.