________________
202
The Unknown Pilgrims
āryikās or Svetămbara sådhvis, whereas from that time onwards it becomes necessary to make a distinction among the Svetāmbaras between the Mūrtipūjakas, who perform an interiorised form of temple-worship to the arhats and the Sthānakavāsis who stay in an upāśraya devoid of all images, all icons.186
E - From the Citadel of the Devas to Mahārāștra
We come now to the two regions of the Centre and West: Madhya Pradeśa and Mahărāștra. In regard to the history of the Jaina dharma these two provinces have from ancient times had in their territory Twell-established centres, belonging in the main to the Digambaras. 187 We may here simply mention the fact that Ujjayini, now belonging to Madhya Pradeśa, was already before the beginning of our era a thriving Jaina centre.188 From this region, so Svetāmbara tradition tells us, came the muni Siddhasena, who was so famous as a poet and logician that they called him: divākara, the Sun.189 He is thought to have lived in the Vth or VIth century, 190 and to have travelled vast distances.
186 Cf. Part III, where in the introduction to the sadhvis' daily life we refer further to these differences.
187 "Hundreds of Jaina temples once dotted Central India, dedicated primarily to the Digambara sect.' The 'Descriptive and Classified List of Archeological Monuments in Madya Bharat' alone lists remains from more than seventy sites." Meister, 1975, p. 223.
188 Cf. P 132.
189 Lit. divā: the day, kara: the maker, maker of the day i.e. the sun.
190 Opinions differ on the subject; cf. Winternitz, 1977, p. 477, n. 2.
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