________________
18
Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
But in later days, as indicated by the Ganabheda, Gana division absorbed and superseded the Sanghas. This Gana-paksapāta is explained in the śrutāvatāra ( verse 90 ) which also indicates how different nameendings like -nandi, -vīra, -deva etc. came into vogue.
From the places where the records are found, it is clear that the Teachers of the Yāpanīya Sangha had their sway mostly in the area of the present-day districts of Dharwar, Belgaum, Kolhapur and Gulburga. The number of records found in Andhra and Tamil Nadu is very small. That no records of the Yāpaniya Sangha are noticed at Sravana Belgol indicates that this seat possibly developed exclusive of the Yāpaniya Teachers. In Karnataka, it is mainly in the northern part of it that many of the Yäpaniya Teachers are associated with the Temple Institution. (Generally speaking the preference is for the images of Neminātha and Pārsvanātha. ). What is striking is that they appear like Trustees managing the temples and also looking after the maintenance of the Sangha by receiving land-grants from kings and other dignitaries in the society. Such functions are more or less the forerunners of those of the present-day Bhattārakas in these areas. The existence of the institution of nuns (ūryškā, kanti or kşāntikā) in the Jaina order has nothing to do with the doctrinal question whether a woman attains liberation in the same birth. This is on par that the doctrine of Ahimsā has never come in the way of the presence of great Dandapāyakas among the Jainas. What is needed is correct undrestanding of the concepts of Strīmukti and Ahimsā. As it apperas, the Sangha did not much affect the laity beyond a few individuals and families owing allegiance to some Acārya or the other.
The terms like Sangha, Gana, Gaccha and Anvaya have their meanings changed ; Sangha and Gaņa are often interchanged.; and their exhaustive study, in their relations to each other, is a desideratum.
It is noted above how Indranandi in his Nītisāra calls Yāpaniyas as Jainābhāsa; and Srutasāgara has many remarks to make against them, even going to the extent of saying that the statues installed by them, though they are nagna, should not be worshipped. In spite of all this, the Yapaniya Teachers are highly praised in the records for their learning and practice of ascetic virtues; and the Digambaras in the south are worshipping the statues which are obviously of the Yapaniya Sangha. That shows how the Yāpaniyas became almost one with the Digambaras : at least one instance is there that a Yapaniya monk is decsribed as jātarūpadhara.
1 See foot-note No. 2 on p. 11; the Srutāvatára is also included in that volume.
See also P. B. DESAI, Ibidem, pp. 164f. $ His Sanskrit comm, on the Satpräbhrtādisangraha, Bombay 1920, p. 79.
