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382
S. B. DEO Two other items require consideration. The first is that the Church allowed persons like the kings and persons of high social status who had turned monks, to enter the nunnery. Even if the purpose behind it was to impress the importance of ascetic life on nuns through the examples of such persons, it may be said that this concession might have possibly led to a distinction between the privileges of the monks based on their previous social position. Of course, no evidence is available to force this conclusion. But it seems likely that the Church still favoured the higher classes to win over their support.
Secondly, the hiding of the reluctant prince-monk in the nunnery tends to reveal that the Church tried its best to avoid condemnation by the society if monks retook to householdership again. For this purpose it went to the extent of making the prince pretend that he was not only ill, but was even a nun!
Monks and Society:
The Bhāşyas reveal frequently the hostile feelings of the society towards some classes of the ascetics. It may be noted that they were not necessarily against the Jaina monks, but sects like the Caraka, Raktapata, Tāpasa, Pandaranga, Cakradhara and the Bodiya were not favourably looked at. As a matter of fact, various superstitious ideas were associated with the sight of these. For instance, the first three were said to forecast some evil, while the sight of the Pandaranga indicated starvation, that of a Cakradhara long touring, and that of the Bodiya the calamity of death.73
The Brhatkalpabhāşya refers to the story of the messenger of a king who postponed his visit to the court as he happened to see the Sramaņa on his way. The messenger, however, saw the king only when his minister explained to him that the Sramaņas were not unwelcome in that kingdom.
Inspite of that, however, we come across incidents in which the lower servants and the cowherds ridiculed the Jaina monks who were sometimes driven out by the householders on receiving the report by their servants.74
Festivals:
Normally monks were not allowed to attend festivals for the following reasons: 75
(1) expecting a great rush of monks, the people were likely to prepare food specially for the monks which was unfit for the Jaina monks;
73. Ogha-N. bhā. 82ff.; Brh. kalp. bha., Vol. II, 1451, 1548; III 2291, 2637. 74. Ibid. 2634. 75. Ibid. Vol. II, 1784-1815.
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