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168
The Unknown Pilgrims
garment of pale saffron and wooden sandals; he travels like anyone else and can have students or disciples. In our own day there are only five Bhatārakas, who reside in certain localities of Mahārāștra and Karnataka. In past centuries this was a flourishing institution which, if we judge by ancient manuscripts and the epigraphy, had a profound influence not only on Jaina society, but on society in general. Their activities extended to literature, science, medicine, the arts, architecture, the organisation of important pilgrimages and to politics. They were also renowned for their possession of miraculous powers, thanks to certain mantras. By collecting and preserving in their headquarters a large number of manuscçipts, they rendered an immense servie to posterity. To sum up, their life was that of noble lords of religion and culture. 97 Nevertheless, although their'manner of life differs from that of the śramanas, they adhere to the same teaching. They stipulate nudity as an indispensable condition for Liberation and have the same attitude towards womankind.
The bhattāraka-sampradāya is introduced here, for in the not inconsiderable number of literary and archacological documents this group has left us, mention is made here and there of aryikās being their disciples. References to these documents are made only in regard to the following regions: Panjāba, Rājasthāna, Madhya Pradeśa, Gujarăta, Mahārāṣtra. 98
Āryikās disciples of the Bhattárakas
Certain ancient texts mention this spiritual relationship. However, in our own day, the Bhatļārakas do not have disciples among the munis and äryikās. In fact, the āryikås, having received dikṣā, have taken upon themselves the mahăvratas or great vows, and are considered to occupy in the samgha a loftier position than that of the Bhattārakas, so that an äryiká does not, for example, make the
97 Ibid., pp. 7-22.
98 The documents concerning another part of Mahārāşțra and Karņāțaka have not yet been published.
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