Book Title: Jainism And Its History
Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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Page 118
________________ society and their status was also quite like the Bhattarakas. The Yati's class was also inclined towards mantra, Tantra and medicine along with the religious rituals. It was a class of renunciates only in name but in fact, from the point of view of conduct, they had all the necessary requisites available to them for enjoyment and comforts in accordance to those times. This class of Yats was so powerful that Yatis were able to stop the entry of Samvigna and Suvihita monks in the areas within their jurisdiction. The influence of Islam, the slackness of conduct of Bhattarakas and Yatis, and the predominance of rituals in the field of religion were the conditions, which inspired Lokashah to revolutionize religion. Lokashah'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 Lokagaccha, Nagaur- Lokagaccha and Lahore-Lokagaccha. But the Lokagaccha itself gradually led to deterioration in practical conduct. For that reason, just about 150 years after Lokashah's revolution in religion, again a need was felt for a revolution in this field. Thus, Jivarajji, Dharmasinghji, Dharmadasji, Manohardasji and Harjiswami etc. coming from the same Lokagaccha-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 Sthanakavāsi sect emerged. The originand growth of Sthanakavāsi sect is not the result of act by one single person at a particular point of time. It is the contribution of different people at different times. Therefore, in the areas Jainism and its History 116

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