________________
History of Nirgrantha tradition 57
not customary for monks to cover themselves always. Similarly in the engravings the mouth-cloth piece is shown in the hand only, unlike present day Sthānakavāsī or Terāpanthi tradition of tying it on the mouth. The ancient Svetāmbara Agamas also substantiate this fact. The fourteen articles of use mentioned in Svetāmbara tradition were probably decided by the 2nd or 3rd century AD. The division in Post-Mahāvira NirgranthaSamgha
In the history of 500 years between Mahāvīra's nirvana and Mathurā's records we get some very important information about Nihnvas which are related to their philosophical and conceptual differences, their different characteristics, branches, classes and their divisions based on mutual relationship. Āvaśyaka-niryukti talks about seven nihnvas, among them Jamāli and Tişyagupta were of Mahāvīra's time, and the remaining five, viz. Aşādhabhūti, Aśvamitra, Ganga, Rohagupta and Gosthāmāhila existed between 214 years and 584 years after Mahāvīra's nirvana. These Nihnvas had differences on some philosophical issues with the conventional beliefs of Nirgrantha-samgha. But we do not have any information available to us about their forming or starting any new sect as such. In this period
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
