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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
77
was, it is very difficult to say or compare with that of Buddha, without ourselves being in a similar position.
When once he got such a knowledge, Mahāvīra chose to express his knowledge in the people's own language-Ardhamāgadhi.129 Besides the local people, he could absorb en mass the whole following of Pärśva in his Church, as the former had taken that system as his basis for reformation. Thus with old traditions and new zeal of a reformer he led a touring life coming in contact with all, irrespective of caste or creed or status. This contact led to the building up of a strong laity which showered upon him extraordinary devotion, and went to the extent of deifying him.130 The Ganadharas:
Mahāvīra had built up an excellent cadre of his chief disciples (gañadharas) numbering eleven in all, each of whom had several junior disciples under him.
The following information is available about them : 131
Name
Caste
Gotra
Place
Brahmin
Goyama
Gobbaragama
Brothers
Kollaga Sannivesa
1. Indabhūi 2. Aggibhūi 3. Vāubhui 4. Viyatta 5. Suhamma 6. Mandiya 7. Moriyaputta 8. Akampiya 9. Ayalabhāyā 10. Meijja 11. Pabhāsa
Moriya
Bhāraddaya Aggivesāyana Väsittha Kāsava Goyama Hariāyana Kodinna
Mihila Kosala Tungiya Sannivesa Rāyagiha.
129. Aup. p. 146; Smv. p. 60b.
130. For epithets of Mahavira like 'devayam ceiyam' etc., Aup. pp. 26-41; Uva. (HOERNLE), p. 109.
131. For further details, Smv. pp. 696, 83a, 84, 86a, 89b, 96a, 97b, 100b; JACOBI, SBE., xxii, pp. 286-87.
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