Acharya Mahaprajna
With reference to industries as well Mahavira laid down some principles. Gandhiji opposed big industries. Similarly, Mahavira presented the principle of limited needs and modest means and a social structure based on decentralization. Mahavira believed that centralization encourages violence. Accordingly, the industries that existed then were categorized. In the code of conduct of the devout society, they were called karmadan. Fifteen karmadan s were enunciated. For the members of the devout society and its followers, prohibitions and limits were prescribed in respect of the fifteen karmadans.
At that time, one industry that existed was ingalkamme - coal industry, another was vanakamme - the fuel industry. Still another was burning forests. One industry was drying up tanks for increasing the quantum of land for agriculture.
These were some of the industries in operation at that time.
Mahavira said: limit them, do not expand industries in an uncontrolled manner, and do not centralize them too much in your hands.
One of the followers of Mahavira was Uddalaputra. He was a potter by caste. He had five hundred shops. He had hundreds of kilns in operation. He was a very big industrialist in pottery business. Uddalaputra took the pledge of limiting his industrial activities.
