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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
sentence like "Om namo siddhānanı” the corrupt from of which viz., “Onamasidhain” it is said, was available till the 20th century A.D., in numerous schools of Northern India.
We have already noted that during the period between the 5th and 6th centuries A.D., there appeared among the Jaina Ācāryas two categories viz., Vanavast and Caityavasi. Almost during this very period, there set in the Bhattāraka tradition among the Digambaras. These Bhaltārakas converted many Jaina Maths (Monastcrics) into mini centres of rcligious education. It is possible that subjects like lexicography, grammer, mathematics, astrology etc., were also studied in such centres bccausc 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 Bhattaraka tradition is still alive in places like Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Karanjā, Moodbidri, Kolhapur elc.
An important outcome of the educational work conducted and carried over by the Caityavasi monks and the Bhatlarakas etc., is that there appcared, in due course of time and under their care, manuscript libraries of varicd sizes and contents. Some of them later developed into cminent libraries called Sastrabhandaras. Important works of secular nature, too, were preserved in them. Some scholars like Dr.K.C.Jain hold that the idea of Public Library is a Jaina one, and that the earliest Granthabhandura (Sastrabhandara) is found in Rajasthan. This tradition of Jaina Manuscript Library has come down all along to this day. Such Libraries at Jaisalmer, Patan, Arrah, Moodbidri, Kolhapur etc., have earned the value of a national asset and attract scholars from abroad 100.
From this brief survey of the educational aspect of early and medieval Jainism, we gather the following points: The Jaina teachers imparted religious education to their monk-pupils regularly and directly, and to the laity through sermons. Later, the Caityas
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