Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 2 of 3: or the Central and Western Rajput States of IndiaTod, James
History
Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 2 of 3: or the Central and Western Rajput States of India
Tod, James
Rajasthan (India) -- History; Rajput (Indic people) -- History
Khadatara signifies ‘true’ [?], an epithet of distinction which was
bestowed by that great supporter of the Buddhists or Jains,
Siddharaj, king of Anhilwara Patan, on one of the branches
(_gachchha_), in a grand religious disputation (_badha_) at that
capital in the eleventh century. The celebrated Hemacharya was head
of the _Khadatara-gachchha_; and his spiritual descendant honoured
Udaipur with his presence in his visit to his dioceses in the desert
in 1821. My own Yati tutor was a disciple of Hemacharya, and his
_pattravali_, or pedigree, registered his descent by spiritual
successions from him. [For the Jain gachchhas see Bühler, _The
Indian Sect of the Jainas_, 77 ff. As usual, the author confounds
Jains with Buddhists.] This pontiff was a man of extensive learning
and of estimable character. He was versed in all the ancient
inscriptions, to which no key now exists, and deciphered one for me
which had been long unintelligible. His travelling library was of
considerable extent, though chiefly composed of works relating to
the ceremonies of his religion: it was in the charge of two of his
disciples remarkable for talent, and who, like himself, were
perfectly acquainted with all these ancient characters. The pontiff
kindly permitted my Yati to bring for my inspection some of the
letters of invitation written by his flocks in the desert. These
were rolls, some of them several feet in length, containing pictured
delineations of their wishes. One from Bikaner represented that
city, in one division of which was the school or college of the
Jains, where the Yatis were all portrayed at their various studies.
In another part, a procession of them was quitting the southern gate
of the city, the head of which was in the act of delivering a scroll
to a messenger, while the pontiff was seen with his cortège
advancing in the distance. To show the respect in which these high
priests of the Jains are held, the princes of Rajputana invariably
advance outside the walls of their capital to receive and conduct
them to it—a mark of respect paid only to princes. On the occasion
of the high priest of the _Khadataras_ passing through Udaipur, as
above alluded to, the Rana received him with every distinction.
Footnote 4.19.42:
So called from the town of Osi or Osian, in Marwar [about 30 miles N.
of Jodhpur city].
Footnote 4.19.43:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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