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210
The Unknown Pilgrims
- In samvat 1828 (1772), the disciple of Bhatțăraka Dharmacandra, Vrşabha, at the request of Āryikās sāntamati and Indumati, composed a Ravivratakathā.215
There is one reference to the Nanditatagaccha, which takes its name from present-day Nandeda on the banks of the Godavari in the Marathavada region of Mahārāştra; although its headquarters was in Gujarāta, this gaccha belonged to the Kāşthāsaṁgha.
-The eleventh day of the dark fortnight of vaišākha (April-May) of samvat 1604 (1547), an image of Pārsvanātha was erected by Bhattāraka Sri Vidyābhūşana at the request of Anantamati Bāi who had received dikṣā.216
-The Senagana had also a centre at Kāranjā. A single reference: In the village of Devala in sarvat 1816 (1760), one Vănārsidāsa, a disciple of Sri Arjikā Śri Sikhara Sriji (herself the disciple of Bhattāraka śāntisena) made a copy of a Harivaṁsarāsa 217
If we take into consideration the inscriptions, works of sculpture and frequent mention of the copying-out of texts, we see that in Madhya Pradeśa and Mahārāștra the āryikas were both in evidence
215 lbid., No 181; pp. 66; 75; ravivrata or ravivāravrata: a sunday-vow, which consists in fasting on 9 consecutive sundays over a period of 9 years. The period of 9 sundays starts on the last sunday of the bright fortnight of asādha (June-July); in addition to the fast, one must practise japa, the meditative and repetitive recitation of the Namaskära-mantra; cf. JSK III; p.
e Ravivratakatha is a narrative illustrating the benefits accruing from this vow; cf. Joharapurkar, "vratakathā in old Marāthi", 1978, pp. 1-4.
216 BhaitSamp, No 676; pp. 271; 295. Anantamati Bāi is called: gļhitadikșă, she had received dikşā as a kşullikā or āryikā.
217 Ibid., No 73; pp. 22; 34. Devala is probably present-day Deulgaon in the Dt. of Buldānā in Mahārāstra. Harivaṁsarāsa: a condensed version of the Harivaṁsapurāņa, a Jaina version of the Mahābhārata of which the Ist Sanskrit text was made in the VIIIth c. by Jinasena, other texts being edited later in Apabhraíśa (a Prākrit dialect).
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