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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
under the caravan-leader and were given the charge of the particular wings. Apart from the traders, other people as well as the monks and ascetics willing to go to far off regions joined the caravan which provided them a strong protection against all the difficulties. It seems that they had to pay some money (mulla) to the caravan-leader for the protection they received by joining the caravan. Even the monks were sometimes asked to pay these charges. A group of traders (sattha ), the caravan-leader ( satthavaha ) and the travellers (atiyattiya) were thus three essential components of an ideal caravan.2
The caravans (sattha) were classified into five categories :3 (i) those who carried their goods by carts or waggons (bhandi), (ii) those who carried on camels and bullocks (bahilaga), (iii) those who carried loads by themselves (bharavaha), (iv) the wandering people who travelled from place to place and paid for their food or those who carried food with theni (odariya), and (v) the kārpatika ascetics (kappadiya).5 From
J. STE O faut uzgla at ara rajatacaf_NC. 4, p. 111; Brh. V.
3, p. 864. 2. faed-PAEH #Aaleta snazfeat-NC. 3, fi. 215. 3. सो सत्थो पंचविहो-भंडि त्ति गंडी, बहिलगा उट्टबलिदादी, भारवहा पोलिया वाहगा,
उदरिया णाम जहिं गता तहिं चेव रूवगादी छोदु समुदिसंति पच्छा गम्मति, अहवाTITETI Saftat, ftafett fHFCITT-NC. 4, p. 110; Brh. Vr. 3, pp.
862-63. 4. On the basis of Brh. Bhā. (1. 3066 ff.) J. G. Jaia (LAI., p. 117) explains
(odariyasattha) as wandering people who travelled to earn their
livelihood and went from place to place. 5. It is possible that the kappadiya-sattha consisted not only of the
kär patika ascetics but also of the pilgrims who went on a pilgrimage. The Purānas enjoin a person to assume the dress of kārpalika while going on a pilgrimage. According to Vāyu Purāra (110. 2. 3.), the person after deciding to go on a pilgrimage should after worshipping Ganesa, the planets and the deities should put on the dress of a kārpatika which includes a copper-ring, a copper-bracelet and reddish garments. Bhattoji prescribes the apparel of a kārpalika for pilgrimage to Gaya, while the Padma Purana (iv, 19, 22) prescribes the same for the other Tirthas also (vide-Kanc, op. cit., IV, p. 573).
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