Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.t1.20

c14.t1.20

¹³ The exceptions are Aimuttakumāra, managa and Vaira It is stated that a child may be ordained under the following circumstances (1) If the whole family wants to join the ascetic order, (2) if the whole family of the monk has expired and only a child has been left, (3) an orphan child of a sammaditthi (one who has right vision), (4) an orphan child of a sejjātara (one who gives shelter to the monk), (5) a child of a nun, who might have been raped and (6) if there is possibility of any good being done to the kula, gana or the sangha through minister or other state servants (Nisi cū 11, p 717 ff) Six years is stated to be the minimum period for pavvajā, otherwise in ordinary course no one can be ordained before eight years (Bhag Ṭī 5 3)