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110 Jaina Religion: Its Historical Journey of Evolution
The influence of Islam, the slackness of conduct of Bhattārakas and Yatis, and the predominance of rituals in the field of religion were the conditions, which inspired Lokāśāha to revolutionize religion. Lokāśāha's opposition to idol- worship, ritualism and slackness in conduct gave a new direction to Jaina religion. His courageous crusade had such an influence that in almost the whole of northwest India lakhs of people became his followers. With the passage of time, the large number of his followers got divided into three groups-- Gujarat Lokāgaccha, NagaurLokāgaccha and Lahore-Lokāgaccha. But the influence of Yati secton Svetāmbara idolworshipper tradition gradually led to further deterioration in practical conduct, which again, took the form of Yati tradition. With the result just about 150 years after Lokāśāha's revolution in religion again a need was felt for a renewed revolution in this field. Thus, Jivarajji, Lavajirishiji, Dharmasinghji, Dharmadasji, Manohardasji and Harjiswami etc. coming from the same Lokāgaccha-Yati tradition again blew the bugle of a renewed revolution, and laid emphasis on the Agama-based conduct for monks, as a result of which the Sthānakavāsi sect emerged. The origin and growth of Sthānakavāsi sect is not the result of
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