19. The Indus householders
The Indus ascetics were sky-clad renunciates, but not the householders who are indicated by a sign of pestle mortar as seen in the seal texts. Householders are depicted with Panch Suna, i.e. the for them unavoidable five sins, with the ratnatraya and even with a whirl just alike the Jain belief seen in the seals here. No scholars have explained these symbols so far, ignoring the vital features of IVC, in these seals and their symbols.
The panchasuna are mentioned in the jain scriptures as:
1. Burning fire to cook food
2. Cleaning of the dwelling where one lives
3. Pestle and mortar for dehusking grain
4. Grinders to powder the grains
5. Washing and pouring water around and in a drain where insects die.
All these actions can be done with utmost care, hence symbolically a ratnatraya is shown attached to the pestle, but the five suna streaks are attached to the mortar.
Next issue: 20. Time in the Indus culture