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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
489
A nun was expected to take all precautions to avoid contact with bad elements in the society, as well as abstain from such, if at all, in the Order itself. Utmost care was taken that a nun may not go astray and we have already seen that articles like a broom with a wooden stick, a bottle gourd and a pot with a handle were prohibited for her use.162 She was not allowed to teach 'ragamandalas' or amorous postures or to feed, decorate or fondle a young child,163 It was possibly for the information of the nuns that one of the texts of the Angas164 gives five reasons of conception so that the nuns may avoid them. In sleeping also an old nun (theri) slept in between two young nuns.165
Even in sickness, she had to be careful. For, when a sick nun was embraced by her mother, sister, or daughter, or was afforded assistance, and thereby committed impurity, then she had to undergo a penance (parihāra) for that offence,166 Appreciating a minor male touch also led to punishment.167 The mad nuns were tied and separated in a room or in a well which contained no water.168 The exhibition of a human body besmeared with dirty things was adopted in curing a nun who had an excessive attachment for sex,169 No contact with even the magically created males170 nor an insect's entry into the organ was allowed,171 and the nuns had to undergo penances for the offences.
With all these precautions, numerous instances are recorded of nuns who were harassed by young people, bad elements, householders and kings. The licentious persons (națavițädayaḥ) followed them upto their residence. and harassed them while they were on the alms-tour,172 Cases of kidnapping occurred on a large scale and the instance of king Gaddabhilla of Ujjeni who kidnapped the sister-nun of Kälakācārya is well-known.173 The AvasyalcaNiryukti174 refers to another king who abducted a beautiful nun, and it was only when the pillars of his palace were flung high up in the sky by a monk through spells and magic that he released her. Sometimes householders,175
162. Brh. kalp. 5, 35-46.
163. Gacchäcāra, 122, 119.
164. Than. 313a; Brh. kalp. bha. Vol. IV, 4139.
165.
Gacchäcära, 123.
166. Brh. kalp. 4, 9-10.
167. Ibid., Bhāṣya, Vol. V, 5253.
168. Ibid., Vol. I, 122-5 (pīṭhikā).
169. Ibid. Vol. VI, 6267.
170. Brh. kalp. 4, 1-4.
171. Ibid., 5, 13-14. 172. Gacchācāra, 125.
173. Nis-C. 10, p. 571: (JAIN, J. C., op. cit., p. 55).
174. V. 933, comm. p. 514b.
175. Brh, kalp. bha. Vol. III, 2670-2.
BULL. DCRI.-62
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