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174
The Unknown Pilgrims
C - From the Foothills of the Himālayas
to Holy Mount Ābū
Subsequent to the inscriptions of Mathură in the first centuries of our era, we have no exact information, at least as far as I know, concerning the presence of sădhvis in the North until the Xth century. Starting from the foothills of the Himalayas and passing through Panjāba and Rājasthāna, one arrives at holy Mount Abū on the borders of Rājasthāna and Gujarāta. The very brief references to sādhvis in these regions are of the period dating from the Xth to the XVIIIth centuries; they are to be found in inscriptions and, especially, in colophons and passages of ancient manuscripts. The first three groups of these documents belong to the Digambaras, the following three to the Svetāmbaras.
a) In Alamodă District
At Dvārahața, close to a caranapădukā (an impression in the rock of feet symbolising a venerated person) there is an inscription dated saṁvat 1044 (988) mentioning Arjikā Lalita Sri, disciple of Arjikā Deva Śni.109 This caraṇapādukā is a clear sign that Arjikā Lalita Śri was held in high esteem in the region and that very probably her mahāprasthāna (Great Departure) had occurred a short while before the offering of the caranapădukă by some śrāvakas.
b) The Mathuragaccha
This gaccha was part of the Kāșthāsamgha. On the eighth day of the bright fortnight of phålguna (February-March) of saṁvat 1688 (1632) in the town of Sapidon in Panjāba, Bhattāraka Sahastrakinti caused a pādukā to be made for his disciple Arjikā Śri Pratāpa Śri.110
109 Cf. JSilalekhaSam, vol. 5, inscr. 19, p. 22. Saṁvat or vikrama samvat: the era of King Vikramaditya which began in the year 58 B.C. To reckon the corresponding year of our era, one subtracts 57 or 56 years. Arjikā or Arjikā is another form for Aryikā.
110 Cf. BhattSamp, No. 610, pp. 234-244. The bright fortnight: śudi or śukla-pakşa: the fifteen days (i.e. circa 2 weeks or 1 fortnight) during which the moon is waxing; pādukā or caranapādukā.
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