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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
225 the Vyavahara sūtra, which gives the qualifications of other officers, would have also given the same regarding the ganadhara. But, if on account of this absence of the statement of qualifications of a ganadhara we take him to be identical with the ācārya, then we cannot account for the separate mention of gañadhara along with the ācārya and others in the list as given in the Brhatkalpa.55 The Vrtti56 by Malayagiri on the Avaśyaka also fails to give the difference between the ganadhara and ācārya when it explains the former as the head of a group of monks and nuns.
Gani :
The same difficulty as in the case of the ganadhara is to be found regarding the ganin. The Bịhatkalpa57 mentions him separate from the ācārya, but the duties ascribed to him do not seem to have been different from that of either the gañadhara or the ācārya. In this connection SCHUBRING remarks that the Ganividyā is connected with the duties of the gain on the horoscopic and calender basis. We see him here calling the members of the gana together for this or that activity (ganasangahaņam kujjā), the sehaņikkhamana vratopasthāpana, and we also see him fulfilling the task of āyariya.58
The qualifications expected of a ganin are dealt with exhaustively in the Daśāśrutaskandha.59 These, it should be noted, are the same as given in the Sthānānga, and which we have already noticed. These expected a high standard of morality together with bodily and mental fitness blended with administrative skill.
It may be noted that even among the gaņins, a sort of seniority existed as is perhaps denoted by the word 'jitthagani’60 (Sk. jyeştha-ganin) used to specify Indabhūī, the chief ganadhara of Mahāvīra. It is also possible that the term was used simply to show honour to him as the Chedasūtras do not seem to refer to any such ganin, either jyeștha or kaniştha.
55. 4. 15.
56. P. 311a where it is stated: ‘ganam-sadhvādisamudāyalaksanaṁ dhārayitum sīlamasyeti ganadhārī'.
57. 3, 14; ‘gani' in Pinda–N.v. 315, equated with ācārya by Malayagiri, Vritti, p. 98a.
58. For details see, Die Lehre der Jainas, article 140, transl. by Mr. MARATHE; The Daśāśrutaskandha-N. equates him with ganadhara :
'Ayārammi ahīë jam não hoï samanadhammo ü / Tamhā āyaradharo bhannaï padhama ganitthānaṁ// 27
Ganasangahuvaggahakārai gani jo pahū ganadharo ü/ ... 28. The Niśītha, 14, 5 and 18, 25 ascribes the duties of an āyariya to the gani.
59. Fourth daśa.
60. Avašyyaka-N. 556. BULE. DCRI.-29
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