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The Followers of the Ever Growing One
167
This general survey of the different discoveries of the ruins of Mathurā has enable us to reconstruct in part the religious and social context of the ascetics at the beginning of our era.
B - Who are the Bhattārakas?
Before proceeding to an overall review of sundry documents dealing with the sadhvis and äryikās, which have found their way into various regions in the course of the centuries, we must mention here certain particular features of one of the Digambara sources: the bhaltāraka-sampradāya. Bhattāraka (from bhatta: lord) is a title of respect used for the gods, venerable personages, masters, learned persons and certain Shivaite monks. In the Jaina tradition, the arhats, siddhas and śramanas are called bhattārakas, 94 and this title was often accorded to ācāryas also. Moreover, both among the Digambaras and also the Svetāmbaras one line of religious leaders is called by this
name. 95
Origin and characteristics
Although the origin of the office of Bhattāraka seems to date back to antiquity, no specific mention is to be found of them until the IXth century, when reference is made to their pițhas or pattas (seats or headquarters) and it is only from the XIIIth century onwards that one can trace a line of Bhattārakas continuously to our own day. 96 It appears that, progressively, for reasons connected with social order or dictated by local circumstances, certain ascetics were led to modify their manner of life and thus constitute a group distinct from the main body of ascetics. A Bhattāraka has a role within the Jaina community which is at one and the same time religious, cultural, administrative and social. He remains celibate, possesses land, lives in a matha, a type of monastery, which has its own private library; he wears a
94 Cf. JSK III, p. 216.
95 Here we shall confine ourselves to the Digambara branch.
96 Cf. BhattSamp, Prastāvanā, pp. 2-4.
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