Aryika Aryika Aryika, also known as Sadhvi, is a female mendicant (nun) in Jainism. In the traditional Digambara tradition, a male human being is considered closest to the apex with the potential to achieve liberation, particularly through asceticism. Women must gain karmic merit, to be reborn as man, and only then can they achieve spiritual liberation in the Digambara sect of Jainism. This view is different from the Svetambara sect that believes that women too can achieve liberation from "Saṃsāra" by being mendicants and through ascetic practices. According to Svetambara Jain texts, from "Kalpasutras" onwards, Jainism has had more "sadhvis" than
Jain schools and branches unacceptable to the other who remain naked. This is how the Digambara and Svetambara sect came about. The "Digambara" being the naked ones where as "Svetambara" being the white clothed. According to Digambara, the purvas and the angas were lost. In course of time, the cannons of Svetambara were also getting lost. About 980 to 993 years after the Nirvana of Mahavira, a Vallabhi council was held at Vallabhi (now in Gujarat). This was headed by Devardhi Ksamashramana. It was found that the 12th Anga, the Ditthivaya, was lost too. The other Angas were written down. This is a traditional