7/28/2019 The Place of Svetambara Jains and Digambar Jains in Jainism

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The place of svetambara jains and digambar jains in Jainism

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7/28/2019 The Place of Svetambara Jains and Digambar Jains in Jainism

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by Jayaram VWe understand that Vardhamana decided to go naked a year after hebecame a monk and spent the rest of his life without wearing anyclothes. The original Order of ascetic monks he established probably

followed him and accepted nudity as a part of a monk's life.When Mahavira was spreading his message, a group of monks who werealready familiar with the teachings of Parsvanatha and the previousThirthankaras might have also been existing at the same time. We are

not sure whether they also joined the Order established by Mahavira,

though there are some indications that some of them must have

joined. However, they seemed to have retained some of the oldpractices, which were already prevalent, including the practice ofwearing clothes.In course of time the differences between the two groups should have

widened, especially after the great famine that ravaged parts ofnorth eastern India, resulting in the great schism, that divided the

Order into two vertical divisions. One group called themselves asDigambaras, refusing to wear clothes and other group calledthemselves as Svetambaras, who accepted wearing white clothes as apart of their monastic discipline.The Digambaras accepted nudity as a part of the teachings of

Mahavira, which was in line with the argument that a perfect monkwas supposed to be devoid of any possessions including clothes andthe desire to protect his body in whatever form. They also held that

women should never join the Order as they were not qualified for the

austere life the Order demanded form each of the adherents.The Digamabaras depict Mahavira in complete nudity, without anyornamentation, with downcast eyes. They also believe that Mahaviraled a completely celibate life and never married. They refuse torecognize the eleven angas of the Jain canon, which form part of the

41 Sutras. The Svetambaras on the other hand accept the 11 angas,

wear white robes, are not averse to admitting women into the Orderand show Mahavira wearing white robes. `In the 18th century, another schism took place, this time in theSvetambara sect, on account of the intrusion of some form ofritualism and temple worship. A Jain monk named Viraji, started this

new movement, which denounced the worship of the images of theThirthankaras and the construction of temples to house them. Theybecame known as Sthanakavasis, signifying the fact that theyassemble in ordinary unadorned buildings, called sthanakas instead

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of in elaborately constructed and well decorated temples and placesof worship.Today the divisions continue. The Digambara Jains are found mostlyin the south, especially in the erstwhile Mysore state, the placewhere the group led by Bhadrabahu went some two thousand and threehundred years ago. The Svetambaras and the Sthanakavasis are foundmostly in Gujarat and Rajasthan.The followers of Jainism today come mostly from the tradingcommunities of India and are known for their high degree ofcommitment to the teachings of Mahavira. Their way of life ischaracterized by fasting, non violence, vegetarianism, philanthropy,

austerity, amiability and simplicity. They also play vital role inthe religious, political and economic activities of India, withoutdistancing themselves from the Hindus who form the majority and whoin turn do not find any distinction between them and the Jains.Suggested Further Reading

The history of JainismThe History, Antiquity and Chronology of HinduismThe Ajivika Sect of Ancient IndiaThe Role of Asceticism in the Development of HinduismPatanjali YogasutrasThe History, Religious Significance and Temples ofMathura and Vrindavan

The History and Antiquity of Varanasi

Wednesday , September 21, 2011

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