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श्रमण STATUT
The Story of the Origin of Yapaniya
Sect
Prof. Sagarmal Jain
Trans. Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh
Both Svetämbaras and Digambaras have putforth their own account of the origin of Yapaniya or Boțika sect. Śvetāmbara story, as contained in, Viseṣāvaśyakabhäṣya and Avaśyaka Cūrṇi (6th-7th century) narrated that once upon a time, preceptor Aryakṛṣṇa visited a garden, Dīpaka, in Rathavirapur town. There lived a man Sahasramalla Śivabhūti, whose late arrival at home at night, often led him quarrel with his mother and wife. Once at a particular night, his mother admonished him to go to the door, that was still open. Dejected Śivabhuti on his way out, saw the doors of a Jaina monastery open and entered there. He saluted Jaina monks there and expressed his desire to initiate. At the outset, Jaina preceptor was unwilling, but when Śivabhūti plucked his hairs, himself, Acārya bestowed the symbols of monkhood (Munilinga) to him. Later on a king visited Rathavirapura and gifted a blanket, set with gems to Śivabhūti. Acārya Aryakṛṣṇa, objected to it and preached about the futility of such a precious possession for monks. Without intimating Śivabhūti, Acarya tored the blanket into pieces and made seats of it. This led to a controversy between Aryakṛṣṇa and Śivabhūti.
Once, while Aryakṛṣṇa was preaching Jinakalpa, Śivabhūti, inquired about the cause of its non-observation in the present and the reason for possessing the articles ( Upadhis) by monks. Acārya propounded that after Jambūsvāmī Jinakalpa became extinct. Śivabhūti resolved to practise Jinakalpa and held that pos
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