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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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(ii) That Jainism was receiving support especially from the trading and lower classes of the society is evident from the fact that the devotees came from such classes as the treasurers, 241 the perfumers,242 workers in metal,243 the members of a gosthi (committee), 244 village headmen,245 wives of caravan leaders,246 merchants,247 wives of dancers,248 goldsmiths, 249 and also courtesans.250 Sometimes the whole community consisting of the four orders contributed an image for the use of all.251 Thus a strong, organised body of the lay-followers maintained the spirit and the existence of the Jaina Church.252
(iii) That the monks and the nuns were active in propogating their faith is evident from the fact that a majority of these dedications were done at the instance or advice of a religious teacher, either male or female.
(iv) The order of nuns seemed to have been well-organised and well supported as they played their part in inducing the laywomen to dedicate images and votive tablets (āyāgapața).
(v) From the various Ganas, Kulas, sākhās and Sambhogas, it appears that the Jaina Church was grouped in minor units with a proper set of hierarchy over them. The monks are referred to with the honorific title ajja (ārya), the disciples as antevāsi, antevāsikini (i.e. anteväsini) and śiśīni, and a reference to the vācaka is also to be met with.
(vi) The dedications are not only to Mahāvīra but even to other Tirthankaras like Rşabha and Pārsva. This tends to lend support to the traditional view that before Mahāvīra there were many other Tirthankaras. Besides this, the discovery of several images of the Jinas shows that idol
241. E.I., Vol. ii, p. 205, No. 23. 242. ASR., III, p. 34, No. 16; LUDERS, 76. 243. LUDERS List, No. 54; also 53. 244. Ibid. 245. Ibid., No. 48. 246. Ibid., 30. 247. Ibid., 24. 248. Ibid., 100. 249. Ibid., 95. 250. Ibid., 102. 251. Ibid., 57.
252. "The inscriptions of the Scythian period are in the majority of cases Jaina and Buddhist and if epigraphical evidence is to be relied upon solely for the reconstruction of the history of our sacred literature then we must admit that Brahmanism was not a popular or a flourishing religion in Mathura or the western part of the U. P." -BANERJI: 'The Age of the Imperial Guptas', p. 113.
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