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BHATTĀRAKA TRADITION
VILAS SANGAVE
Rise of the Tradition :
The Bhattāraka tradition is a very well established tradition of sufficiently long duration and prestige found among the Digambara Jainas of different parts of India. The Bhattäraka was a special type of religious authority evolved by the Digambara Jainas during the early part of the medieval period as a policy of survival to meet the severe challanges created by the advent of Muslim rule in India. As the Muslim rulers looked down upon the practice of nudity observed by the Digambara Jaina ascetics, it became extremely difficult for these Sadhüs or ascetics. to move freely on foot in different regions according to the rules of conduct prescribed for them and to exercise their influence on the proper behaviour of the Srāvakas or the lay followers of the religion. The members of the Digambara Jaina community also faced disintegration due to uncertainty and insecurity prevailing at that time. In these peculiar and pressing conditions the system of Bhattarakas was slowly formed to save the religion and its followers from utter destruction. A special functionary known as Bhattāraka was created to perform certain important religious and social duties in the interests of the community and he was placed above the laymen and below the ascetics. With a view to helping the Bhattāraka in the discharge of his duties in an orderly and continuous manner, a new organization known as 'Matha' was also constituted. In this way the tradition of a Bhattāraka attached to a particular Masha came into existence and became popular in different parts of the country. It is thus clear that the system of Bhattārakas was not established on a particular day but it was slowly evolved during the medieval period. That is why about the Bhattaraka tradition we get stray references from the, 8th century onwards and continuous references from the 13th century onwards to the present day. Extent of the Tradition :
As the Bhattāraka was a religious preceptor of a Sangha or Gana or
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