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Jaina Ethics and Miscellaneous Customs and Manners
a religious act, in the same way the imparting of religious education is regarded as a religious duty. The sacred books would be of no avail if there are no persons who could understand them thoroughly. Thus with a view to prepare learned men well-versed in all branches of Jaina literature and to impart religious education to laymen, institutions like Pathaśālās or religious schools and Examination Boards were established by the Jainas at several places all over India. As the Digambaras and the Svetambaras have separate literature, they have their own Pathasalas and Examination Boards. Nowadays as people do not take much interest in religious education, such institutions are not thriving but still there are institutions like Śrī Syadvādā Digambara Jaina Mahavidyalaya, Vārāņasī, which impart higher religious education.
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Another important Jaina institution of a mainly religious character is that of a Bhattaraka. The Bhattaraka is a religious preceptor of a Sangha or Gachchha, i. e., of a group of Jainas. The institution, which is found in the Digambara Jainas only, was established in the mediaeval period. It was first established at Delhi and later on at several places all over India. Some of the important places were Gwalior, Jaipur, and Dungarpura in Rajputānā; Iḍara and Sojitra in Gujaratha; Nagpur, Kārañjā, Latura, Nandani and Kolhapur in Maharashtra ; Muḍabidrī and Karakala in South Kanara District; Śravanabelgola in Karnāṭak, and Penugonda and Kañchi in South India. In some of the places even now we come across the Bhattarakas who are having a sufficient hold over their followers in spite of the fact that the institution as such is in a decadent condition. As regards the origin of the institution nothing definite is known. But it is maintained that when day by day the Digambara Jaina ascetics became lax in their conduct, the practice of nudity by Jainas was looked down upon by the Muslim rulers, and the community was on its way of disintegration due to uncertainty and insecurity prevailing at that time, the institution of Bhattarakas was constituted to save the religion and its followers from utter destruction. The Bhattaraka was placed above the laymen and below the ascetics. His duties were religious as well as social. He used to be the keeper of the conscience of the Jaina community within his local jurisdiction. He administered to all their wants, temporal and spiritual. He officiated, superintended, or directed the celebration of domestic
