Evolution of Sthanakavasi and Terapantha Sect [2.2] Legacy

Evolution of Sthānakavāsi and Terāpantha Sect

Lonkā as seen earlier denied all forms of external ways of worship involving in violence, attempted to refine the conduct of the monks. He got some followers who were convinced with his ideas and denounced the idol and its worship completely. Lonkā had propounded his views in VS 1508 (A.D. 1451). When he started preaching his views, and in V.S. 1533 (A.D. 1476) one person from Sirohi by the name of Bhāna who self - initiated in lonkāmat (sect of lonkā) because of Lakhamshi; who was convinced of Lonkā’s views.

Lavaji took initiation in the order of Varjānga Guru of lonkāgaccha and was known as Dundhiya because he was staying in Dhunda (Broken house). Vijayananda Suri in his book “Samyaktva Salyosharna” mentions that Lavji, his disciple Somji, his disciple Kanji and his disciple Dharmadāsa stayed in broken house therefore known as Dhundhiya. A Manuscript of L.D. Institute says Bhana Rishi in v.S. 1687 had a fight with his guru (A.D. 1630) and separated from him and was known as dhundhiya.

There are accounts, which say that hundred years after lonkā, lonkāgaccha started worshipping idols etc. Three munis lavji, Dharmadāsa and Dharma sinha left that sect because they wanted to carry on the path of lonkā as he had propounded. They were known as Dundhias and later on because they stayed in Sthānakas they were known as sthānakavāsis. Lonkā gaccha is on the verge of extinction. Some of them have assimilated into either image worship sect and some others have assimilated in the Sthānakavāsi Sect. Sthānakavāsi sect is further sub-divided into many sub-sects.

Sthānakavāsi sect spread to Rajasthan also. There in the later half of the 17th century we have another reformer Ācārya Bhikşu who not only agrees with Lonkā on the elements of violence but also visualizes that temple building is a costly affair, which is a perverse view. Section two discusses the reforms of Bhikşu who established the Terāpantha sect.