Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 778

SOME EARLY JAINA TEMPLES IN WESTERN INDIA : 299
But the moving spirit of the Church was undoubtedly the clergy. who, by their high ethical conduct, selflessness, piety, and profound learning kept the waters of Faith in motion; through their persistent efforts, from an incipient streamlet, a powerful riverine current emerged. The Śvetāmbara clergy was, from Kuşāņa days on, divided into ganas, sākhas, and kulas. Jainism, the waves of which passed on Rajasthan in post-Gupta Age, may have its epicentre in śūrasena country wherein Mathurā seems to be their headquarters at least from Sunga days on. Between eighth and eleventh centuries, the four kulas-Nagendra, Candra, Nivștti and Vidyadhara-prevailed in Western India. Their ramifications into sub-orders-gacchas had already started, or at least foreshadowed in the eighth century itself. Eventually, kulas were lost and gacchas took their place.14 Several of these gacchas were the direct derivatives of the kulas15; but many new came to be established, some taking their names after their place of origin16, some after communities??, others after the founding preceptors18; still others came into existence on account of the schisms caused by differences of interpretation of scriptures, variances on ritualistic observances, and the like. The process of proliferation and branching was at its greatest intensity in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. There were also instances of parochial attitude, disputes, which culminated into prolonged hostilities in case of the later gacchas20, true. The normal human weaknesses also worked their way in a few sub-orders of the monk. But these were exceptions, which represent and reflect a biased attitude based on premises which to an outsider would appear most minor, flimsy, even insignificant and unjustifiably frivolous. These inconsistencies apart, the general attitude of the Jaina samaritans possessed many positive aspects, facilities, uncrippled by sectarian,
14 More definitely from late eleventh century. 15 All the four original kulas mentioned in the foregoing began to be
called gacchas. Several others derived from these original ones during the mediaeval period. As for example, Upakeśa or Ukeśa gaccha from Ukeśa, Brahmāna gaccha from Brahmāna (Varman), Nāņakıya or Nāņāvāla gaccha from Nānaka (Nana), Sanderaka gaccha from Sanderaka (Sande
rav), and so forth. 17 Pallivāla gaccha and Khanderavāla gaccha for instance. 18 Krsnarşi gaccha, Bhāvadācārya gaccha, Devācārya gaccha etc. 19 Añcala gaccha etc. 20 Between Kharatara gaccha and Tapa gaccha for instance.