Jain Journal 1977 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 34

JAIN JOURNAL
sub-branches of Kharatara gacchas and many sub-branches of Tapagaccha", each of which has differences slightly from its neighbours but intercourses with it. The groups of the two ends of the chain of relation of Jaina Sanghas, however, may be so different that they cannot unite with each other, e.g. the different sub-branches of Kharatara gaccha or Tapagaccha cannot unite with each other.
The classification of the present day Jaina monastic orders into welldefined groups is possible only because most of the intermediate forms have become extinct.
Evidences of Evolution of Jaina Sangha from Geographical Distribution :
Not all Jaina Sanghas, ganas, gacchas, etc., are found in all parts of India ; they are not even found everywhere that they could survive, as one would expect if the social climate and topography of the mission territory were the only factors determining their distribution. Inner India (Madhya Pradesh) and South India and also Jaipur, Kota, Bundi, etc. in Rajasthan, for example, have the Digambara Sanghas, while Western realm of India including some parts of Rajasthan having a similar social climate and other environmental conditions has a few of the Digambara sects, while the Svetambara monastic orders are there in largre number. The range of a given Sangha or gana or gaccha, etc., that is the portion of the mission territory in which it is found, may be only a few square miles. In general closely related Sanghas do not have indentical ranges nor are their ranges far apart. They are usually adjacent, but separated by a monastic barrier of some sort or geographical barriers?, but they
* Eleven sub-branches of Kharataragaccha are : 1. Madhukara-kharatara-gaccha,
2. Rudrapalliya-gaccha, 3.Laghu-kharatara-gaccha, 4. Vegada-sakha, 5.Pippalakakharatara-gaccha, 6. Acarya-gaccha, 7. Bhavaharsiya-kharatara-gaccha, 8. Laghu-acarya-kharatara-gaccha, 9. Rangavijaya-kharatara-sakha, 10. Sariyakharatara-gaccha and 11. Brhat-kharatara-gaccha. See Kharataragaccha Pattavali, I. II. III. Many sub-branches of Tapa-gaccha are mentioned such as, Nagapuriya-tapagaccha, Sagara-gaccha, Vijayananda-sakha, Vimala-gaccha, Vijaya-sakha, Devasuri-gaccha, Samvegin-gaccha, Vrddhaposalika, Laghuposalika, etc.
See Tapagaccha Pattavali, p. I. etc. 5 It is evidenced by the fact of the distribution of the population of Digambararas
who support their own sects. • It is clear from the distribution of the population of the Svetambaras and the
existence of the Svetambara sects in this region. For example, different branches of Kharataragaccha or Tapagaccha have different ranges, but not far apart.