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or mass-education achieved by the Jaina Acaryas. During the reigns of some of the Kadamba, Ganga, Chalukya and Rastrakuta rulers, the Jaina teachers have successfully carried out such mass-education in Karnataka. This is also true of Rajasthan and Gujarat under their favourable rulers. The comulative effect of such education in these provinces could be seen in the fact that the virtues of regard for Ahimsa etc., in general and vegetarianism in particular were nurtured by most of the people of those and later days including the present days to some extent - in these regions. Moreover, some scholars think that the percolation of the principle of Ahimsa to the very root of Gandhiji's mind is the later fruit of such age-long education by Jainism in that region. Another interesting factor in the educational values of Jainism is that in the day-to-day practice itself of the Śravakadharma by the members of the lay community is found the carrying out of some important educational principles. Dāna (gift), Sila (protection of minor vows), upavāsa (observance of fast) and pūjā (worship) are the four constituents of the layman's way of pious life; and they play a very important role in his total life. The gift of Sastra (books) or Jñāna (knowledge) is one of the four facets of Dana (gift), the first constituent of the Śravakadharma., Sastradāna means to provide the right person with the right book (or books, the vehicles of knowledge) at the right time. The educational importance of this aspect of gift can be illustrated from a gesture of an eminent historical personage of medieval Karnataka when printing was unknown. With a beneficial motive of augmenting interest in (religious) literature, in 973 A.D., the great pious lady Attimabbe, wife of general Nagideva (under the Western Calukyas), got prepared 1000 copies of Ponna's Santipurana and distributed them to the deserving ones. The worth and strength of this Sastradāna is seen even today among numerous well-to-do members of the Jaina community extending a helping hand towards publication of worthy books, enaouragement of scholars in their pursuits, liberal donations to educational institutions etc. A number of educational trusts have come up out of this motive in different parts of the
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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
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