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Śramaņa, Vol 59, No. 2/April-June 2008
because the Śvetambaras had always enjoyed good and affectionate relations with the Yapaniyas.
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Moreover, Dr. Nagarajaiah has tried to show that the author of Harivansapurāṇa, Punnāța Jinasena was also from the NeoDigambara tradition. Though he has agrees that the stories of Harivanśapurāṇa are different in many ways from Digambara accounts of the stories, even then he is not ready to accept him (Punnāța Jinasena) belonging to the Yapanīya tradition and ascribes him to the Neo-Digambara tradition. In support of his view he says that Harivansapurana has neither mention of woman-liberation (strï-mukti) nor intake of foods by Kevalins (kevali-bhukti). Therefore, his views are different from those held by the Śvetambara and the Yāpaniya traditions, and seem to be of Neo-Digambara. The 65th sarga of Harivarśapurāṇa, referred by Dr. Nagarajaiah mentions liberation of the followers of other faiths. This concept of liberation was accepted by the Śvetambaras and the Yapaniyas and not by Digambaras. Thus clear mention of liberation of Nārada, ordained as a Tapasa by Harivansapurāṇa proves itself as a work of Yāpanīya tradition. If Dr. Nagarajaiah accepts the fact that the liberation of the Tapasas was acceptable to the Neo-Digambaras, he will have to invariably accept the liberation of the clothed ascetics as well as the householders and the women also. In that case there would be no difference between the Yapaniyas and the Neo-Digambaras. Actually, those whom he wishes to call by the name of Neo-Digambaras are Yāpaniyas only. Yapaniyas do not belong to the Svetämbara tradition but to Digambaras, because they support the unclothed monasticism. Yapaniya branch of the Digambaras, being not different from the Digambaras, the origin, development and merger of this sect is related to the Digambara tradition only. Today, their literature, temples, and icons, etc. have been inherited the Digambara sect and it is surprising that why are they so reluctant to the Yapaniyas and unnecessarily coining terms like Neo-Digambaras for them. Is it correct to call the For Private & Personal Use Only
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