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JANUARY, 1978
Terapanthin49 from Sthanakavasin sect respectively. Vanavasin gaccha50 appears to have been originated with the Vanavasin monks, which has characteristics intermediate between those of Nirgrantha gaccha, Kotikagaccha and Candragaccha on the one hand and Vatagaccha on the other. The evolution of Vanavasin gaccha is in general characterized by adaptations for forest life51. Kotikagaccha lived in the tropics of Northern area of Jaina Sangha52 as evidenced by early Mathura Inscriptions and the Kalpasūtra Sthavirāvalī.
The next sub-order of Nirgrantha gaccha is represented by a single gaccha called Candragaccha53, i.e. chararaterized by singleness without having any branch. The third sub-order includes all the rest of Nirgrantha gaccha, viz. Vanavasin gaccha, Vatagaccha and Tapagaccha54. They have a larger and more complicated monastic organiszation than other previous gacchas. This suborder again is sub-divided into several groups, e.g. Tapagaccha branched off into several sakhas, such as Vijayadeva suri sakha, (A.D. 1675), Vijayaraja Suri sakha (A.D. 1534), Kamala Kalasa sakha (A.D. 1534), Brhat Posala sakha (A.D. 1526), Laghu Posala sakha (A.D. 1526), Sagara gaccha (A.D. 1557), Kavala gaccha, etc.55
105
Besides, there are several Jaina monastic orders which represent a group of Jaina Sanghas, isolated in South India during the Acarya period, that underwent an evolution independent of other early Sanghas e.g. Yapaniyasangha, Kasthasangha, Mathurasangha56, etc. The Digambara Jaina Sangha included three groups, viz. (1) Old world Sangha e.g. Nirgrantha Mahasramanasangha57 and Mulasangha58 with its principal ganas, viz. Devagana, Senagana, Nandigana and Simhagana59, etc. (2) Middle group represented by
49 Ibid.
50 Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. I, f. 48.
51 Ibid.
52 See Early Mathura. Inscriptions for Kotikagana; Kalpasutra Sthaviravali ; Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. I, p. 45.
53 Ibid., Pt. I, p. 48.
54 Ibid., Pt. I, pp. 48, 53, 57.
55 See Tapagaccha Pattavali; Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. I, p. 57,
56 Yapaniyasangha-see Darsanasara, 29 (S. 705); JSS, Pt. II, 99, p. 73; Kasthasangha-see Darsanasara, p. 14; JSS, Pt. III, No. 756, p. 578, p. 66. Mathurasangha-see Darsanasara, p. 17; JSS. IV, No. 265, p. 115.
57 Jaina Silalekhasamgraha, Pt. II, No. 98, pp. 69-76 (Nirgrantha Mahasramanasangha).
58 JSS, Pt. II, No. 94, p. 61 (Mulasangha).
59 See JSS, Pt. II, Nos. 111, 113, 114 and 149, 193 for Devagana; See Uttarapurana, Le. 8,; JSS. IV, No. 55, etc.; JSS, Pt. I, Nos. 42, 43, 47, 50, etc. for Nandigana; See the inscription of Siddharavasati for Simhagana.
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