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non-Jainas for the above purposes appears to be pre-ponderantly more prevalent among the Svetāmbaras than among the Digambaras. So far as the performance of ceremonies is concerned the Svetāmbara, including the sthānakavāsi, Jainas all over India invariably use the services of a Brahmin priest and in many cases the Brahmin priest is a hereditary family priest. However, the Svetāmbara Jainas do not seem to approve this custom as many of them have stated that they are compelled to employ Brahmin priests because the Jaina priests are not available. It has been mentioned by some that recently a start has been made to employ Jainas for this purpose. In this regard the Digambara Jainas from South India, Karnātaka, Mahārāshtra and Central India clearly stated that they employ Jaina priests only, while those from North India and Gujarātha stated that they generally employ Jaina priests and if they are not available , then alone Brahmin priests are called for the purpose. As regards the custom of employing Brahmins or other Hindus in the Jaina temples for performing duties like Pūjā and Abhisheka, it can be stated that the custom is found only among the “vetāṁbara Jainas all over India. In no part of India non-Jainas are employed for this purpose in the Digambara Jaina temples. It has been specifically mentioned by the Digambara Jainas from North India that if Jaina priest is not available, the Brahmin is employed for marriage purpose only and in temples only Jainas look after Pūjā and Abhisheka. The Sthānakavāsi Jainas have no temples and therefore the question of performing Pūjā or Abhisheka does not arise at all. It is reported by Svetāmbara Jainas from diflerent parts of India that they do employ Hindu persons in their temples for doing duties like Pūjā and Abhisheka.
39. JAINA FASTS Jainism lays great stress on the practice of austerities and the common method of practising austerities is the observance of fast. The important feature of the rules of conduct prescribed by Jaina Ethics consists in the fact that one is expected to observe them after taking into account one's own status and capacity.29 That is why it is likely that there might be a great diversity in the observance of fast. With a view to know whether fasts are observed by Jainas and if so, how many, the question pumber 41 was asked and from the replies it will be seen that there are various grada
