Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s12.1

c12.s12.1

The nuns played an important part in the fourfold Saṅgha of Mahāvīra as has been mentioned already. Like monks nuns too lived upon the charity of the people though their life was much harder and they were placed under a more rigorous discipline than monks. It is stated that they should not stay alone without the protection of monks and should avoid the company of men of doubtful character. In fact, those were very hard days for nuns. When they went out to beg they were subjected to various annoyances by young men, who followed them to their residence (vasati). The nuns were mocked at during their menstrual period when the Kāpālika ascetics by means of spells tried to fascinate them. It is for this reason that the Jain nuns were asked to cover themselves thoroughly like a plantain tree. But still the young men used to give them much trouble. Under such circumstances the nuns were asked to keep the doors of their residence closed. If there were no doors, the monks used to guard them or they themselves sat together with sticks in their hands to stop the tyrants. If still a young nun was tormented by mischievous persons, it was the duty of some young monk who was well-versed in the art of fighting, to meet the tormentor in the disguise of a nun and punish him.⁹⁶ We are told of Sukumāliyā who joined the ascetic order together with her two brothers. Sukumāliyā was a beautiful nun and so when she went out to beg she was followed by young men who even entered her residence by force. The chief nun informed the ācārya who asked her brothers to protect their sister. Now Sukumālīyā began to live with her brothers who used to go out begging by turns. As both were adepts in the art of fighting, if anybody dared to enter their residence, they thrashed him and brought him to his senses.⁹⁷