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418
The Unknown Pilgrims
with a lively and penetrating intelligence and an extraordinary capacity for concentration and perseverance.
The various communities 20
The major sampradāyas (sects) since the beginning of the Christian
era
A. Digambara Āryikās (sometimes called sådhvis) belonging to the Sarasvati gaccha (group): temple-worship for the śrāvakas and śrāvikās, veneration of images by the ascetics; several Acāryas.21
B. Svetämbara Sādhvis (sometimes called Āryas)
a) Mūrtipūjaka: temple-worship for the śrăvakas and śrāvikās, veneration of images by the ascetics. Divided (mụnis, sādhvis, śrāvakas, śråvikās) into two major gacchas:
i) The Tapăgaccha,22 very important, subdivided into smaller groups; several Acāryas.
ii) The Kharataragaccha formerly very important, now a minority group; one or two (?) Acāryas.
b) Sthanakavāsi; a sampradaya which was a reform out of the
Mürtipūjakas (Gujarăta, beginning of XVIII c.); no temples nor ; veneration of images; 13 texts of Scripture not recognised as | Agamas.
20 This table refers to the communities of ascetics with which we deal in this study and which include the majority fo the communities of sådhvis and äryikās.
21 For the other Digambara sampradayas, cf I P 172.
22 Tapāgaccha and Kharataragaccha are the titles of gacchas, but they are used in everyday speech to denote also the members of these same groups.
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