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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
women in order to warn the lustful monks to keep aloof from the feminine charms that might overcome their reasons”, 1
In spite of this general attitude towards women, an almost equal status was given to the nuns by the Jaina law-givers in their monastic order. They could lead a pure and chaste life in their respective order and thus strive for their spiritual salvation. Most of the rules were common for monks as well as nuns except a few which were specifically made keeping in view the aspect of social security of nuas. It is worthwhile to note that under no circumstances a nun could be expelled from the order. Even when a nun was forcefully raped and was pregnant, she was to be kept in the house of a layman and properly looked after throughout the period of her confinement. She could rejoin the order after the birth of the child and her child could also be initiated in the monastic life. This rule evidently gave a social security to women who once having embraced the monastic life had been unable to live up to the required standards or were forced to deviate from their chosen path due to circumstances beyond their control.
Position of Women-The ideal of womanhood was that one should entirely devote to her husband. The husband, good or bad, was the only refuge of a wife. A story is narrated of a husband who being displeased with the conduct of his wife asked her to leave the house. But on her lamenting that “where should I go as I have no place to go. Even if you beat me, you are my only refuge»t the husband was so pleased that he handed over the responsibilities of the household back to her. 5
Women enjoyed certain rights in other fields also. Mention has been made of the religious works being recited by the
1. LAI., P: 153. 2. Fr lagtg any osoy Fuchfa—NC. 3, p. 277. 3, NO. 3, p. 234, 4. कतो णं वच्चामि, णात्य मे अण्णो गतिविसओ, जति वि मारहि तहावि तुम चेव
Tatatui --NG3, p. 52. 5. Ibid.
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