________________
1 SIDDHASENA DIVAKARA
In the Prabhavaka Carita the author in the chapter on Vajra1 states that the Gaccha of Vidyadhara was started by the disciple named Vidyadhara who was one of the four disciples of Vajraswami. In the Sthavirävli2 of Kalpasūtra there is a mention of the branch Vidyadbari having been started by Vidyadhara Gopal who was one of the five disciples of Susthita Supratibaddha who was in his turn the disciple of Arya Suhasti. It seems probable that the above-mentioned Gaccha of Vidyadhara and the branch of Vidyadhari had been started by different persons and considering the date of their founders, it seems that they were altogether different. At any rate these two cannot be identified with each other. According to a current tradition, the branch Vidyadhari was started in the first era before Vikrama, while the Vidyādhara Gaccha seems to have been probably started in the second or third century of Vikrama era. Thus between this branch of Vidyadhari and the Gachha of Vidyadhara there is an intervening period of nearly 300 years. As to what is the place of these and as to why these were started nothing is known. Moreover there are no means available to say convincingly as to what school or branch Ārya Skandila belonged to. The Prabhavaka Carita, however, states that Skandila came from the family of Padalipta and from Vidyadhara-vara Amnaya. If we are able to believe in this statement, we have to say that
Jain Education International
41
1 P. C. verses 196-198 p. 13.
2 " धेरेहिंता गं विज्जाहरगोवालेहिता कासवगुत्त हिंतो एत्थ पां विज्जाहरी सरहा निग्गया । "
-p. 55.
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
