Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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2 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
copper plate grants of the fifth century AD. Records of the subsequent period show that the Samghas, Gaņas, Gacchas, Balis and Śākhās of monks had grown into a very large number by AD 1000. Subsequent epigraphs record the names of the following orders: Müla-samgha, Nandi-samgha, Namilūra-samgha or Mayaūra-samgha, Kittura-samgha, Kollatura-samgha, Nandi-gana, Deśi-gana, Dramila-gaṇa, Kānūragana, Pustaka-gaccha or Sarasvati-gaccha, Vakra-gaccha, Tagarilagaccha, Maṇḍitala-gaccha, Inguleśvara-bali, Panasoge-bali, etc.1
Although original Jainism was theoretically opposed to the caste system, the Jains in course of their long history had developed a type of caste-society. The exact number of the Jain castes is not, however, available. Traditionally there are 84 castes, but the lists of their names found from different sources, do not tally with one another. The Jain castes are endogamous and a few of them are common to both the Svetāmbaras and the Digambaras. Though there are numerous castes no prominent position is assigned to any of them, not even to the Jain Brāhmaṇas. But in practice we find some castes claiming superiority over others and this feeling is obviously due to differences in economic position, moral standards, social practices, customs and manners. Thus, castes following lower occupations are generally regarded as low. Those who do not allow widow-marriage looked down upon to those who allow, and in this way restrictions have grown as regards inter-dining, inter-marriage and other social practices. Of the important Jain castes reference may be made to the Agravāla, Osavāla, Srīmāli, Porāvāḍa, Khaṇḍelavālā, Paravāra, Humbada (Hummaḍa), Śetavāla (Saitavala), Caturtha, Bogāra, Upadhyaya, and others.2
The Jain attitude towards women is marked by patriarchal influence, but here the narrowness of the Caste-Hindu patriarchal order is absent. Some Jain scriptures however regard women as the lamps that burn on the road that leads to the gate of hell. The Digambaras even do not admit women into the order. Child-marriage was the order of the day until a few years ago, probably due to Hindu influence.
1Bühler, ISJ, pp. 78-79; EC, II, No. 254; Jain H.L. in SE, pp. 431-32.
'For their regional distribution see Crooke, TCNWPO, 1, pp. 14 ff; II, p. 422; III, pp. 12-13, 225, 386; IV, pp. 97-99, 109-10; Enthoven, TCB, I, p. 303; II, pp. 23, 33, 34, 83, 426; III, pp. 438, 442; Russell, TCCPI, II, pp. 136-39, 142-43, 147-48, 154-57; III, pp. 12ff; Nanjundayya and Iyer, MTC, II, pp. 402-03; Thurston, CTSI, II, pp. 426ff; Hassan, CTND, I, pp. 265ff; and also BG, IX 1, pp. 97ff; XVI, pp. 45ff; XVII; pp. 99, XXI, pp. 103; XXIII, 117; etc.; for structural and functional survey see Sangave, JCSS, pp. 64-136.