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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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Great moral qualifications were attached to this post, and it was seen that the person did not take undue advantage of his privileges. Thus, if the ācāryopādhyāya broke the vow of celibacy while holding the office, he was debarred from accepting any post throughout his life. If, however, after leaving his office he acted thus,32 he was suspended for three years.33 If he became worldly (avadhāvaï) without leaving his office, then he was not allowed to hold office again throughout his life. If he happened to do so, after leaving his office, he was suspended for three years.34 Another disqualification that made him unfit throughout his life for that post, inspite of his being well-versed, was his being always a liar (musāvāï), deceitful (mai), impure (asui) and sinful (pāvajīvī).35
Gaņāvaccheżya :
After the ācāryopādhyāya came the gaṇāvacchedaka as is clear from the fact that he was a person having eight years' standing. Besides this, he was expected to be conversant with the Sthānānga and the Samavāyānga. 36
The designation makes it clear that this person was the head of a part of the gana, and was perhaps the immediate subordinate to the ācārya.37 It is not very clear as to what were the duties assigned to this person.
Along with the duties, he had some privileges also, and he was allowed to remain either inside or outside the monastery either for a night or two.38
These privileges, it seems, were the outcome of the confidence placed in him regarding his moral behaviour. If he proved to be unworthy of it and committed an offence against celibacy while holding the office, then he was dismissed and barred from holding office throughout his life (jāvaj
32. 'gaņāvaccheïyattam anikkhivittä'.
33. Vav. 3, 16-17. The wording is 'tiņni samvaccharāņi tassa tappattiyam no kappaï ayariyaüvajjhāyattam uddisittaë va dhārettaë vå'.
34. Ibid., 3, 21-22 35. Ibid., 3, 25. 36. Ibid., 3, 7.
37. SCHUBRING remarks, "Ganivijjā 40,76 also deals with ganahara and gaņāvaccheïya. The latter is lower in rank, but according to his name he is superior to a part of the gana". (Footnote 2, p. 161: 'But Acārānga II, 79, 3 describes something to the contrary because according to it gañadhara is the leader of a group living separately from the gana, and in this group ganadhara represents the gamin. Ganavaccheïya is described here as the gacchakāryacintaka').-Die Lehre der Jainas, article 140 (Transl. by Mr. MARATHE).
38. Vav. 6, 3.
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