‘Tataḥ Śrī-Gurus-Tasmai Sūrimantraṃ Dadyāt’, ‘Then the Venerable Guru Ought to Give Him the Sūrimantra’: Early Modern Digambara Jaina Bhaṭṭāraka Consecrations

Abstract

As recent research on the former bhaṭṭāraka lineages of Western and Central India has shown, the early modern Digambara tradition, rather than constituting a distinct, and defective, ‘bhaṭṭāraka era’, shows much similarity to contemporary Digambara Jainism. Bhaṭṭārakas were regarded and venerated as ideal renouncers. Many of their practices accorded to those of today’s Digambara munis, and the bhaṭṭāraka saṅghas also featured renouncers of the muni and ācārya ranks, long thought to have abruptly become obsolete in the late medieval period. This new understanding of early modern Digambara Jainism is corroborated by the present article, which deals with early modern bhaṭṭāraka consecration rituals (paṭṭābhiṣeka, dīkṣā). The study is mainly based on two genres of sources. Sanskrit bhaṭṭāraka consecration manuals (dīkṣā-vidhi, pada-sthāpanā-vidhi), firstly, outline the preparations, the ritual proceedings, and the festivities to be held. Some vernacular songs of praise (gīta, etc.) of individual bhaṭṭārakas, secondly, focus specifically on their consecrations. These song compositions confirm many of the manuals’ prescriptions, while also adding elements not attested in the latter. Read in conjunction, both sources allow a relatively detailed understanding of early modern bhaṭṭāraka consecrations, show they closely resembled contemporary Digambara initiations, and confirm the former venerability of early modern bhaṭṭārakas in their own times.

Mathas, toward understanding the public religious, educational, and political ascetic institution in South Asian religions

“…As Sarah Pierce Taylor (forthcoming) has demonstrated in her work on Deccani Digambara mathas, the rhetoric of empire extends beyond sovereign appellations, as mathas also incorporated imperial literary tropes into the panegyrics of their leaders. Matha heads' sovereign identity is further enacted through analogous ritual metaphors that include consecration/unction rituals (e.g., Bouillier, 2017, p. 85; Chatterjee, 2013, p. 47; Detige, 2019) and coronation (e.g., Bouillier, 2017, p. 149). The ritual commonalities even extend to the interregnum as the thrones of both the ruler and the guru are temporarily occupied by a sword until the installation of a successor (cf., Bouillier, 2017, p. 149 & Simmons, 2021b, p. 230).…”

“…125-126;Pierce Taylor, 2020, pp. 495-496 and, forthcoming;Detige, 2019). As Sarah Pierce Taylor (forthcoming) has demonstrated in her work on Deccani Digambara mathas, the rhetoric of empire extends beyond sovereign appellations, as mathas also incorporated imperial literary tropes into the panegyrics of their leaders.…”