Prof. Dr. Lawrence A. Babb
The Khartar Gacch was at first a reform movement among ascetics.[1] In medieval times, possibly as early as the eighth century C.E., ascetics known as Caityavasis, "temple-dwellers," had become prominent in western India. These were ascetics who, contrary to the Jain ideal of the peripatetic mendicant, lived in permanent establishments. Their leaders were learned, were held in high esteem at court, and in general exercised great influence over the Jain laity. But the Caityavasis had their critics as well, and the Khartar Gacch began as a protest movement against what was viewed by critics as the stagnation and backsliding of these false ascetics.
The story begins with a late tenth- to early eleventh-century ascetic named Vardhmansuri. He was initiated originally as a Caityavasi, but ultimately left the Caityavasis because of his growing disgust at their lax ways. He then became the student of a learned ascetic named Udyotansuri, who taught him "true" Jain doctrine. He later went forth to propagate teachings opposed to those of the Caityavasis, and died in 1031 C.E. His most important disciple was Jinesvarsuri, one of the truly great figures of Svetambar history. Said to have been of Brahman origin, Jinesvarsuri and his brother apparently met Vardhmansuri while still boys and were quickly initiated by him. Both went on to distinguished ascetic careers.
Jinesvarsuri was an able scholar and powerful debater, and his most celebrated deed was the defeat of the Caityavasis in a famous debate. Vardhmansuri had decided to confront the Caityavasis on their own ground and had gone to Pat. an with his disciples. This city, then the capital of Gujarat, was a great center for the Caityavasis. Because of the Caityavasis' influence in the city, Vardhmansuri and his followers had difficulty finding a place to stay. In the end, however, the scholarly Jinesvar so impressed the king's chief (Brahman) priest with his Sanskrit learning that the priest invited the monks to stay with him. The Caityavasis then put it about that they were spies dressed as mendicants. When word of this reached King Durlabhraj, he called his priest, who defended the mendicants. The Caityavasis then decided that the best way to get rid of this threat would be to challenge and defeat them in a debate.
The debate was joined in the presence of King Durlabhraj in a Parsvanath temple in the year 1024 C.E. Suracarya, the leader of the Caityavasis, sat with eighty-three other local Caityavasis. Vardhmansuri and his followers were summoned.[2] When they arrived, the king offered them betel, which apparently the Caityavasis were quite accustomed to taking. In response, Vardhmansuri produced a couplet from the Sastras that said that for celibates, mendicants, and widows, taking betel is equivalent to the sin of eating beef.
As the debate then unfolded,[3] Jinesvar (who carried the burden of the debate) asked the king whether he - the king - followed new political policies or those of his ancestors. The king replied that he followed the policies of his ancestors. Jinesvar pointed out that the followers of Vardhmansuri were simply trying to do the same thing, namely, to follow the original teachings of the Tirthankars. Jinesvar then reminded the king that he and his fellows had come from far away and noted that they did not have the books they needed to debate properly. He asked the king to have books brought from the Caityavasis' math (monastery). The bundle of books was duly produced, and when it was opened the first thing that came to hand was the Dasavaikalikasutra, and from this book the first thing that met the eye was a stanza that read: "An ascetic (sadhu) must live in a place that is not specifically for ascetics but which is designed for any other purpose, and in which there are facilities for eating and sleeping, and in which there is a proper designated place to urinate and defecate, and from which women, animals, eunuchs, etc., are forbidden."[4] The king, who was an impartial judge, found this extremely convincing. The king then asked for thrones to be brought for Jinesvar's group to be seated upon. Jinesvar responded that it was improper for monks to sit on thrones and backed up the assertion with a couplet from the Sastras. In the end, Jinesvar's victory was total, and the king took him and his companions under his protection. The Caityavasis left the temples and the kingdom, and were replaced with Brahman temple priests.[5]
This dissident reforming sect, founded by Vardhmansuri and consolidated and propagated by Jinesvarsuri, was at first known as the vidhimarg (the path of [proper] method).[6] However, it is said that at the time of the great debate the admiring king Durlabhraj applied the term khartar ("fierce") to Jinesvar. This sobriquet later became the name of the gacch.
On the formation of the Khartar Gacch, see especially Dundas 1992: 120-22; also 1993. Variations exist in the accounts available. The narratives and biographies to follow are based on materials drawn from Vinaysagar 1959 and 1989. Vinaysagar 1959 was a particularly valuable source and will be cited specifically in relation to particular points.
According to the account given in Vinaysagar, the Caityavasis all later found various pretexts to return and begin living in temples again (1959: 10-11).
