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IDEALISM AND REALISM
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the ocean modesty, was ever celebrated in the world, being lovingly praised by the earth.133 The subduer of the Kaşāyas, Srimati Ganti, having by severe penance thus obtained name and fame on the earth, and having fixed her mind on the pair of the lotus-feet of the great Jinendra, the lord of the world, attained by Samādhi, a high rank in the abode of gods. Srimati Ganti, ending her life by the rite of sanyasana, went to the world of gods. Her good penance being immense, the meritorious Mānakabbê Ganti, adored with the ornaments good qualities, caused to be set up this epitaph to her great guru." 134
It is clear from the last words that the excellant Srimati Ganti was the guru of another Mánakabbê Ganti ; which evidently reveals the existence of a regular sisterhood of nuns. We have already alluded to the Gāņagitti Temple of Vijayanagara, and it is possible that Ganti or Gänati is but a contraction of Gāņagitti (oil-woman). The oil-pressers known as Gåņigas, of South Kanara, originally belonged to Vijayanagara and Mysore.185 Although these are not Jainas at present, the existence of the Jaina Gāņagitti Temple at Vijayanagara would seem to point to some at least among them having been once Jainas. The class of nuns called Ganti, therefore, might possibly have belonged to the Gāņiga or oil-pressing caste. Rice reasonably thought that there must have been a regular sister-hood of Digambara Jaina nuns in South India. 136 The evidence in this behalf is quite canvincing despite such theoretical objections as contained, for instance, in the Bhāva-sangraha by Somadeva. After considering various arguments against woman's right to salvation, the writer concludes: Taraft The IT fakt at HOT I J T 9799A ETT or furreproi' 11 97. H. SCH
133 Cf. “Women, as is ugnal in this monkish poetry, are very pessi
mistically characterised. They are, for example, described as the torch on the road to the gate of hell, the root of all miseries, and the prime cause of discord' (Hemacandra's Yoga-S'astra) Macdonell,
India's Past, p. 74. 134 Ep. Oar. IT SB 951, trans., p. 165. 135 Cf. Starrook, op. cit., pp. 167-68, 196 Rice, Coorg Inscriptions, Ep. Oar. I, p. 66 ..
