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Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
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The name Śrīmālī is derived from Śrīmāla (modern Bhinmāla) a place situated in Rajputana on the border line of Marwar. Two accounts are told about the origin of this caste. According to one, about 400 years before Vikrama Era Acharya Svayamprabha Suri converted a large number of the Hindu families to Jainism at Śrīmāla. Other Acharyas thereafter converted more families and grouped them with the former converts. This process went on for a considerable time and the persons so converted were formed into the Śrīmāla caste.90 According to another mythical account, at Śrīmāla Lord Vishnu created, to please Lakshmi, 90,000 Baniyās to maintain 45,000 Brahmins. The Baniyas were created out of her garland, according to one account, and out of his thigh according to another.91 Of the two stories the first seems to be more plausible. Later on 135 gotras or exogamous sections were formed the names of which are given in Appendix X.92
The Śrīmālis are divided into Visās, Dasas and Laḍavās. About the origin of the Visas and Dasas three stories are told. According to one, those Śrīmālis who had first settled after wandering through four quarters (Vidiśā) were called Visa and those who settled after wandering the four directions (Diśā) were called Dasā. 93 According to another story, those Śrīmalis who sprang from the right side of Mahalakshmi's garland were called Visas and those from the left Dasas. According to a third, the Visas or twenties came to be so called because they are twice as high as Dasās or tens. The Laḍavā Śrīmālīs were so called because they lived in the old Lața Desa or South Gujaratha. Visā Śrīmālīs are mainly Jainas and Dasā Śrīmālīs Vaishnavas. Among the Visa Śrīmālis there are seven minor divisions, viz., (i) Ahamadābādīs, (ii) Kaṭhāriyas, (iii) Palhaṇapuriyās, (iv) Pāṭaṇīs, (v) Sorathiyās, (vi) Talabadas and (vii) Tharadiyās; and among the Dasā Śrīmālīs there are three, viz., (i) Horasaṭha, (ii) Chaṇāpahua and (iii) Idadiyā. The Ladavā Śrīmālis have no minor divisions. The three main divisions with their sub-divisions eat together but do not intermarry. In some parts Dasā Śrīmāli Jainas marry with Dasa Śrīmāli Vaishnvas or with Dasa Osavāla and Dasā Poravāḍa Jainas.94
Because of their great number among Svetambaras, Śrīmālis occupy a prominent position. They are great merchant princes and take a keen interest in social activities.
