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tradition. This reached such a state that the followers of the same Jaina tradition started abstaining from taking food touched by other caste persons, inter-dining and taking water from a person of low caste. In one of the sects of Svetambara tradition, it became a practice that an Oswal alone should be ordained as a monk; and in another sect of this tradition, the idea of giving the post of Ācārya only to a monk of the Bisa Oswal community originated.
Though in olden times, people from all four Varnas and castes were fully accepted and were entitled to worship in temples, observe the vows of the householder and the vows of the monks and were even considered capable of attaining the highest state of Nirvāṇa. In the 7th – 8th century AD, Janasena for the first time declared Sudras as unworthy for monkhood and for attainment of liberation. The Svetambara canons however, do not forbid initiation of Śudras into the Order. The Sthānānga Sūtra only prohibits the initiation of sick; mentally deranged and eunuchs etc. into the Order. But later on, even low-castes such as Candālas and professionals such as butchers etc were prohibited from initiation into the Order. This was only the influence of the powerful Hindu tradition and was against the main principles of Jaina tradition. Jainas gave recognition to this only to maintain their social status and dignity, though the Āgamas mention many cases of Candālas such as Harikesabala, Metārya, Maetārajamuni etc. being ordained as monks and later attaining Moksa.
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