Book Title: Jainism in Ealy Medieval Karnataka
Author(s): Ram Bhushan Prasad Singh
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

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Page 157
________________ Conclusion 139 the śūdras from upanayana came to be reflected in the Jaina system of initiation. The ban on Vedic ritualisin was lifted and the dominance of the priest class was revived among the Jainas. The worship of the Jinas in the Jaina temples became a costly affair, and the Brāhmaṇas were welcomed by the Jainas as priests who presided over their sacred ceremonies. As a corollary to all this development, Jaina atheism lost ground during the early medieval age. The Jainas became as theistic as the Hindus. The Jinas were invested with the divine power of creation and destruction. They were credited with the same altributes of divinity as characterized the Brāhmaṇical gods--Śiva, Vişnu, and Sarkara. The Jaina teachers also explained to their followers several strange incarnations of Rsabhadeva, the founder of the Jaina religion. All this shows the changed character of Jainism in Karnataka Thus, although the Digambara teachers advocated highsounding puritan principles, they did not practise these in actual life. The practical idea of advancing the Jaina faith in Karnataka was their guiding foice. They found it necessary to adjust themselves to the prevailing conditions. They therefore accepted some practices of the Hindus both in lay and monastic life. Probably this explains their survival in Mysore.

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