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The Followers of the Ever Growing One
199
and kamandalu (gourd for purpose of ablution) in her left. The inscription, dated saṁvat 1544 (1488), mentions the erection of a nişidikā to kşullikā Jinamati, disciple of Bhattāraka Vidyānandi. Mention is also made of the names Arjikă Ratna Śri and Arjikā Kalyāna þri. 180
-The fifth day of the bright fortnight of caitra (March-April) of saṁvat 1582 (1526), the disciple of Ārya Sri Vimala Sri, Vinaya Śri, having been initiated by Bhattāraka Lakşmicandra, copied out the Mahābhişckā-bhāsya for a disciple of Bhattāraka Lakşmicandra: Śri Jñānasāgara. 181
-The second day of the dark fortnight of vaišākhā (April-May) of samvat 1662 (1606), the woman disciple of Bhaưțāraka Ratnakirti, Viramati Bāi had a statue erected in honour of Mahāvira. 182
180 BhattSamp, No 458; pp. 177; 195, and the photo facing p. 194. A kşullikā is not yet an äryikā, but has received the dikșa appropriate to this first stage; she may later on become an aryikā by means of a second dikșa or she may remain a ksullikā for the rest of her life; cf. P 637 ff. The text is ambiguous, but the statue is probably the nişidikā mentioned in the inscription; moreover this inscr. mentions at the beginning Stambatirttha, the pilgrimage-centre also called Khambāta or Khambāyata. The text is not very clear, for the statue is found at Sürata. Khambhāta could be the birthplace of Āryikā Ratna Śri, who may have been the guruņi of Jinamati (suggestion of prof. Joharapurkar.)
181 Ibid., No 470; pp. 180; 196. The Mahābhişekā-bhāşya: a commentary by Acārya Srutasāgara (1473-1533) on the text Nitya Mahodyota by Pandita Āsādhara (1173-1243); cf. JSK III, p. 301. Mahabhişekā: a Great Anointing or aspersion. This is the solemn asperation of certain images in accordance with an elaborated ritual set forth in this text.
182 Ibid., No 522, pp. 193; 200. Although the title Āryikā is not mentioned in the text, one may conclude, from the fact that she is said to be a śişyāņi, disciple, of a Bhattāraka and is called Bãi, that this is a reference to an äryikā. It was customary among the Digambaras of the West to add the word Bāi to the name to designate an āryikā; "cf. Anekanta vol. VIII, p. 232, where the characteristics of an aryikā are listed under this very description "Bãi", a title of respect used for persons of feminine sex." Ref. supplied by Prof. Joharapurkar.
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