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Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
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In spite of the fact that Jainism allows any person to follow the Jaina religion and to observe its religious practices, in reality we find that many persons have been debarred from practising certain religious rites. In some castes which have been divided into Visās and Dasās, at certain places the latter are not allowed even at present to perform worship in the temples. The ascetics decline to take food at the hands of people who practise widow remarriage. According to the Digambara sect the Sūdra cannot give food to the Jaina ascetics, they are not entitled to Moksha (i. e. liberation ), they cannot become ascetics of high order and they are possibly not allowed to worship.58
Considering the importance attached to the Brahmins and the prominent position they occupied in the Hindu society, many privileges were granted to them. They were made to be respected by others, exempted from capital punishment and paying taxes, allowed to use some services free of charges, could get their lands assessed at distinctly lower rates and could avail themselves of lenient treatment when imprisoned. Even though the superiority of the Brahmins over other people is not recognised by the Jainas and generally the primary position is supposed to be assigned to the Kshatriyas instead of the Brahmins, the latter were still held in respect and esteem by the people. King Bharata is said to have fed them daily and distinguished them from others by putting the mark of Kaikiņī-jewel on their person. They were receiving gifts from the kings. Other people also gave away charity to them Besides, the Brahmins enjoyed certain other privileges, such as immunity from paying taxes and capital punishment.59
Along with civil and religious restrictions there were restrictions on the choice of occupations. Members of a particular caste were not allowed to follow any calling they liked. Occupations were considered as hereditary and it was not proper for a person to abandon his occupation in favour of another, even though the latter may be more profitable. Like castes occupations were also graded as high and low and naturally members of high castes were barred from following low occupations for fear of degradation of the whole caste. It was not only the moral restraint and the social check of one's caste-fellows that acted as a restraint on the choice of one's occupation, but also the restrictions put by other castes, which did not allow members other than those of
