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Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
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There are supposed to be many gotras among Setavālas but the names of 44 gotras only are available , viz., Bahu;. Abhayakumāra; Sahasrabāhu; Maghava; Vijayamitra; Mahābāhu; Bhūvallabha; Hariketu; Vijaya; Dhanapati; Simharatha; Vidyāśakti; Supratishtha; Meghavāhana; Pșthvīpāla; Vajradanta; Ratnāyudha; Anantavijaya; Dharma; Prajñāpāla; Yugandhara; Lokapāla; Harischandra; Suryaputra; Yasapāla; Minaketu; Surendra-datta; Puņdarīka; Dhanaratha; Dhātrivāhana; Susheņa; Subhachandra; Pūrvabāhu; Manimālā; Jitasatru; Vajrāyudha; Satyasruti; Jayandhara; Narmadā; Vimalavāhana; Surakirti; Vimalakīrti; Srisheņa and Chakrāyudha.132 But these gotras are not taken into account for purposes of marriage. Śetavālas regulate their marriages by family surnames and inter-marriages within the same section are avoided.133 Widows are allowed to marry and divorce is recognised. Both widows and divorced wives marry by inferior rites, in which the garments of the bridal couple are knotted together and a feast is furnished to the relatives.134 Šetavālas have their own Bhattāraka or religious head by name Viśālakīrti at Latur, a place in the Osmanabad District. Minor caste disputes are generally settled by caste Panchayatas but graver ones are referred to the Bhattaraka in which case his decision is final. Formerly some members of this caste were excommunicated and were known as Vādodakara Setavālas, but they have been recently admitted into the main caste. As compared with other Jaina castes, Setavālas are financially very poor and as such do not get respect from other castes.
(ii) Chaturtha :
According to the All India Digambara Jaina Directory, the Chaturtha caste is the first among the Digamabara Jaina castes in respect of its numerical strength. There are nearly 70,000 Chaturthas and unlike other castes, Chaturthas are not spread over a wide area but they are mainly concentrated in the Northern Karnataka and Southern Mahārāshtra.
It is not known how the word Chaturtha is derived. Many conjectures have been put forward. According to one story, in the Jainas there were formerly four divisions: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sūdras. The Jaina Kshatriyas have disappeared but the Jaina Brahmins, Vaiśyas and Sūdras remain. Jaina Śūdras are also called Jaina Chaturthas, that is, the fourth estate.135 According to
