It is worth noting that Abhaya is a very important character in Jaina narrative literature in general, for he embodies "intelligence and wisdom par excellence for the Jains." (40) He almost always appears as a highly intelligent man capable of solving problems or using stratagems in Svetambara and
Digambara texts, whereas in Buddhist literature his problem-solving capability is little featured.
Even the '
digambara swamis' would have a dozen people around him to serve him.
Indeed, the names of the two primary sects of Jainism, the Svetambara (literally, white-clad), whose monastics wear simple white cloth, and the
Digambara (literally, sky-clad), whose monks are nude, reflect this difference of opinion about what constitutes tolerable violence.
BJP President Gandkari, while briefing the media after the meeting, slammed Goa Chief Minister
Digambara Kamat, as he was in-charge of the mining department in the state.
(2) Jaini (Gender 1) notes that the
Digambara Jains "vehemently have insisted that one cannot attain moksa, emancipation of a soul from the cycles of birth and death (samsara), as a female." Though the formation of the
Digambara sect postdates the period of early Buddhism, this position is nevertheless noteworthy in the light of the indication given in the Jinacaritra that nuns consistently outnumbered monks throughout Jain history (Jinacaritra 134f, 161f, 176f and 214f counts 14.000 monks against 36.000 nuns under MahavIra; 16.000 monks against 38.000 nuns under Parsva; 18.000 monks against 40.000 nuns under Aristanemi; and 84.000 monks against 300.000 nuns under Rsabha; cf.
After the seminar, I wandered past the Jain Bird Hospital, inside the
Digambara Jain temple.
The conflicts and violence which they unleash are proverbial in the cases of Catholics and Protestants among Christians, of Shias and Sunnis among Muslims, Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhists, Swetambara and
Digambara Jains, although the intensity of violence varies among these denominations or sects.
1999 The Aharadana to a
Digambara Ascetic: The Ritual and its Significance.
In Andhra Pradesh, in southeastern India, a poetry calling itself
digambara or "naked" appeared.
The Salvis, the ancient weavers of silk who specialize in patola, were originally
Digambara Jams, the sky-clad ones.
All too often, however, the
Digambara Jain caves from the ninth and tenth centuries located at the northern end of the site--five according to the Archaeological Survey, but comprising twenty-three separate excavations according to Lisa Owen--are given short shrift, as later and derivative monuments.