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336
S. B. DEO
brāhmaṇa, ksatriya and vaiśya)" besides his having other physical and mental qualifications.
The Church Hierarchy: (a) Sāhu (Sadhu):
Having qualified himself for monkhood and taken to that life, the monk became a recognised member of the Church.
His chief duties consisted of showing respect to the elders, helping the co-monks without causing pain to living beings, carrying out perfectly the tenets of monastic conduct, and study,642
(6) Thera (sthavira) :
When the newcomer spent a considerable period in monkhood he attained the position of a sthavira. The commentary643 gives but fanciful explanation : 'yasmāt sthirāņi ācaranāni bhavanti iti sthavirah.' No other details regarding the qualifications of a sthavira are given. But he was a monk well-versed in the sacred lore and monastic traditions and was, perhaps, consulted on matters of moral discipline.
(c) Uvajjhāya (upādhyāya) :
The person who was well-versed in the twelve Angas as told by the Jina, and who gave instructions to the younger monks was called the upādhyāya.644 Thus he was solely in charge of instructions. (d) Āïriya (ācārya) :
He was a person, superior to the upādhyāya and was the ideal for others regarding proper monastic conduct.645 (e) Ganahara (ganadhara) :
The gañadhara was the head of a 'gama' or a group of monks. It is not clear what distinguished him from the ācārya for he is equated with the ācārya by the commentator.646 Elsewhere he is mentioned as being a person separate from the ācārya.647
642. Ibid., III, 47-52. 643. Mül. pt. I, comm., p. 135.
644. Ibid., 7, 10: upadiśati svādhyāyam tenopadhyāya ucyate; Ibid., pt. I, comm. p. 135: 'upetya asmādadhīyate upadhyāyah'; 4, 155; 4, 195.
645. Ibid. 646. Ibid., pt. I, p. 160; references to the ganadhara: Ibid., 4, 155, 186. 647. Ibid.
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