A Bhaṭṭāraka heads traditional DigambaraJain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running Jain institutions.
Overview
The term bhaṭṭāraka was used for Virasena, Bhadrabahu and other notables. It has also been used for the Tirthankaras. It was in the past used for leaders of religious orders in Shaivism, Buddhism and other groups, but currently it is applied to heads of Digambara Jain institutions. Unlike a Digambara monk, a bhaṭṭāraka wears an orange robe, stays in a single place and is involved in management of assets of the institution. Several of the Bhattarak seats were termed "Vidyasthana" i.e. centers of learning. These include Jaipur, Delhi, Gwalior, Ajmer, Nagaur, Rampur-Bhanpura, Karanaja, Surat, Kolhapur, Jinakanchi, Penukonda, Malkhed, Vijayanagara, Varanga and Hummacha. The role of a bhaṭṭāraka is described by Brahm Gyansagar, a disciple of Bhaṭṭāraka Shribhushana of Kashtha Sangh Nanditat Gaccha in seventeenth century of the Vikram era:
Bhaṭṭāraka sōhi jāṇa bhraṣṭācara nivārē, dharma prakāśē dōi bhavika jīva bahu tārē| Sakala śastra sampūrṇa sūrimantra ārādhē, karē gaccha uddhāra svātmakārya bahu sādhē| Saumyamūrti śōbhākaraṇa kṣamādharaṇa gambhīramati, bhaṭṭāraka sōhi jāṇiyē kahata jñānasāgara yati. "Thus a bhaṭṭāraka illuminates both dharmas, is an expert in all scriptures, has the authority to recite the suri-mantra. He is also responsible for preserving the order. He is the head of the six limbs of the sangha: shravaka, shravika, pandita, muni, aryika and Bhattaraka."
Many of the bhattarakas were prolific authors. They wrote hundreds of original books and commentaries on various subjects, in Sanskrit and in local languages. All existing Jain manuscripts available today owe their preservation to the libraries maintained by Bhattarakas. They trained and supported pandits. Until modern times, all pratishthas were supervised by them or pandits designated by them.
Present Bhattaraka Seats
Once bhaṭṭārakas were common all over India, but currently, they are present only in South India, with the exception of a new Bhattaraka seat at Hastinapur. Famous bhaṭṭāraka seats include:
Karnataka
Shravanabelagola, seat of the Desiya Gana, Pustaka Order. The bhaṭṭāraka is named Charukirti. This is where the Siddhanta Granthas were once preserved in the library, before they were moved to Mudabidri.
Moodabidri, also a very important great holy seat of the Desiya Gana, Pustaka Order. The bhaṭṭāraka is named Charukirti. The original manuscripts of the Siddhanta Granthas like Dhavala are preserved here. The present swamiji is very much experienced most popular India and abroad scholar, master's degree, doctorate holder in various subjects. On 29 August 1999 swamiji took charge of holy bhattarak seat; it is independent holy ancient jain digamber acharya seat.
The Terapanth movement arose in 17th century because of opposition by elite householders to Bhattarakas. Still many Bhaṭṭāraka seats in North India existed until the beginning of the 20th century. In some locations disputes arose and the reformists opposed existing Bhattarakas because they did not display the scholarship expected, or disapproval of their spending of the institutional funds. Many Bhattarakas were unable to find suitable disciples to take their place after them. A new Bhattaraka seat has again come into existence at Hastinapur presided by Bhattaraka Ravindra Kirti.
Theories of Origin
There are several theories of how the modern Bhattarka institution originated. In its modern form, with the Bhattaraka as an orange-robed advanced layman, its founding is often attributed to Prabhachandra of Mula Sangh, Balatkara Gana Saraswati gachchha, who travelled from Pattana to Delhi, where he was anointed in a ceremony as the first Bhattaraka of Delhi. He was invited by the ruler of Delhi, who is identified as Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. However Shrutasagara, in his commentary on Shatprabhrita, mentioned Prabhachandra's predecessor Vasantakirti as having adopted body coverage first. The lineage linking Vasabtakirti and Prabhachandra is given as following :
Vasantakirti at Mandapadurg
Vishalakirti, Ajmer
Shubhakirti, Ajmer
Dharmachandra, Ajmer
Ratnakirti, Ajmer
Prabhachandra, who visited Delhi
Originally the wearing of clothes was regarded to be an exception to be used when going out. Until recent time, many Bhattarakas used to discard clothing within the monastery on specific occasions like eating, image consecretion or initiating another Bhattaraka.
