Answer

No. In Digambar Jain tradition, a female layperson should not touch a male monk.

Explanation

Digambar monks follow very strict vows of renunciation, including complete celibacy and extreme carefulness in conduct. Physical contact with women is avoided to protect the monk’s vows, purity of conduct, and spiritual discipline.

Female devotees may respectfully offer reverence from a distance, such as:

• doing vandana with folded hands,
• listening to pravachan,
• offering respectful salutations without physical contact.

Spiritual Understanding

This rule is not about disrespect toward women. It is about preserving the monk’s vow of brahmacharya and maintaining strict detachment from bodily contact and worldly relationships.

Takeaway

In Digambar Jain practice, women should show devotion and respect to male monks without touching them.