Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia, Dev Kothari
Publisher: Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 1256

Jaina Path of Education
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studied in such centres because numerous manuscripts of works on these subjects, besides those on religion, philosophy etc., are found even to this day systematically preserved in these mathas. It is also interesting to note that the Bhattāraka tradition is still alive in places like Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Kāranjā, Moodbidri, Kolhapur etc.
An important outcome of the educational work conducted and carried over by the Caityavāsī monks and the Bhattārakas etc., is that there appeared, in due course of time and under their care, manuscript libraries of varied sizes and contents. Some of them latter developed into eminent libraries called śāstrabhandāras. Important works of secular nature, too, were preserved in them. Some scholars hold that the idea of Public Library is a Jaina one, and that the earliest Granthabhandāra (Šāstrabhandāra) is found in Rājasthan. This tradition of Jaina Manuscript Library has come down all along to this day. Such Libraries at Jaisalmer, Pāšan, Ārräh, Moodbidri, Kolhāpur etc., have earned the value of a national asset and attract scholars from abroad too.
From this brief survey of the educational aspect of early and medieval Jainism, we gather the following points : The Jaina teachers impart religious education to their monk-pupils regularly and directly, and to the laity through sermons. Later, the Cairyas or basadis also served as schools of general type of primary education, in addition to religious education, for the children of the laity of the surrounding areas. Pāthaśālās were also run by some members of the lay community. The Bhattāraka tradition developed in their mathas mini centres of education, religious as well as partly general. Later, gradually, there appeared manuscript libraries in some of the basadis and mathas. The general type of cducation, however, did not make much progress so as to enter into its higher order. “The reason for such state of affairs." as Dr. Altekar observes, "is that the Jaina community, mostly belonging to the merchant class, did not think much about higher education for their children. They mostly trained their children in their own family business and later accommodated them therein alone. This tendency can be seen among some Jaina merchants even to this day."
Though the Jaina teachers did not build outstanding educational centres like Takşašila and Nalandā, the work done by them in field of social education or mass-education is unique. Well-equipped with the vast scriptural and general knowledge, bearing pure thinking and conduct, always wandering about as a model for other young monks and the pious laity, every Jaina teacher was almost a moving mini university. His sermon was a powerful means of mass-education; the religious story (dharma-katha) in the sermon was an effective medium of such education; and narration of such story in an interesting and entertaining manner was a wholesome method followed by him Thus, through various stories, the constituent (individual and social). virtues of the Srāvakadharma and other ethical principles were imprinted on the minds of the masses. In order to keep away the common people from the seven vices (Saptavyasana), many Jaina teachers have told numerous interesting stories, which we can read even today in the rich Jaina narrative literature in different languages and of different periods. Thus, religious or ethical instruction in an entertaining manner is the secret of successful social education or masseducation achieved by the Jaina Ācāryas. During the reigns of some of the Kadamba, Ganga, Chālukya and Rāştrakūţa rulers, the Jaina teachers have successfully carried out such mass-education in Karnataka. This is also true of Rajasthan and Gujarat under their favourable rulers. The cumulative effect of such education in these provinces could be seen in the fact that the virtues of regard for Ahiṁsā etc., in general and vegetarianism in particular were nurtured by