Unknown Pilgrims

SR No.: 007014
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N Shanta
Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications Delhi
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 820
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 217

The Followers of the Ever Growing One
197
dismissed from her group. If one of them, abducted by force, should be expecting a child, she was entrusted to the family of some śrāvaka who would take care of her till the child's birth, after which she rejoined her community and the child could also, at a later date, receive diksā. 173
Designed as they were for a pluralist society made up of people of all sorts thronging the cities and ports, the rules of the Niśitha-sūtra conccming temporary abodes permitted 10 nirgranthis evidence much wisdom and good sense. The curņi simply draws out the implications in order to assure the sādhvis of a protection that will allow them an austere, chaste and studious life. Their clothing is made the object of a detailed study; it comprises eleven garments and under-garments, of which the purpose is to envelop them completely to avoid attracting attention or'exciting lust. Each sādhvi must clothe herself fully before going out of doors. 174 Despite these precautionary measures, it did happen on occasion that miscreants succeeded, by force or craftiness, in abducting sådhvis. 175 The cūrni recounts how in the port of Bharukaccha (Bhrgukaccha) on the estuary of the Narmadā River where it slows into the Arabian Sca, some travelling forcign merchants had abducted certain young and beautiful sãdhvis. Others had been base enough to pretend to embrace the Jaina faith and then, under pretext of inviting them to come and venerate an image of one of the arhats that they had set up there, lured some sādhvis on to their boat. So soon as they were on board, the brigands weighed anchor! 176
173 Ibid., p. 110
174 Ibid. pp. 165-167.
175 Cf. Deo, 1956, pp. 489-491, where he is referring in the first place to the Brhatkalpa-bhāşya; we note this interesting piece of information: "...the monks were expected to guard the nuns. A young monk well-versed in the act of fighting was allowed to punish an intruder by disguising as a nun. In certain cases even brother-monks had to protect their sister-nun with the permission of the acārya and the pravartini."
176 Cf. Sen, 1975, pp.222-223.