________________
17th Epochal- c rya rya r gupta
(533 To 548 V.N.)
After rya Bhadragupta left for his heavenly abode, rya r gupta led the Congregation as epochal- c rya. The only available information about him is:
Birth Initiation Became c rya Heavenly abode | Household life duration Ordinary Monk tenure Tenure as c rya Total longevity
V.N. 448 V.N. 483 V.N. 533 V.N. 548 | 35 years
50 years | 15 years | 100 years 7 months 7 days
The sixth non-believer rya Rohagupta was his disciple-monk.
The Sixth Heretic- rya Rohgupta
In V.N. 544 Rohagupta propounded the doctrine of Tririka (three types of existents rather than two as living and non living beings descrined in Jainism). As he propounded differently than Lord Mah v ra, so, he is considered a heretic. How this belief came into existence is described in the following way:
Once, a c rya called r gupta camped along with his disciples at the Bh taguh garden on the outskirts of Amtaramjik city. Bala r was the ruler of Amtaramjik . Rohagupta, one of the very intelligent disciples of
c rya r gupta, came to Amtaramjik from another village to be with his Guru. On the way he saw an ascetic holding a twig of a rose apple (Jamb) tree in his hand; he had an iron band around his waist, lest his stomach may burst open by the spate of his knowledge. As he wore an iron band around his waist, he became famous as Po as la. The twig of rose apple tree in his hand probably implied that no one could defeat him in religious debate in the entire Jamb dw pa. So he proclaiming at the beat of a drum, travelled from place to place, challenging the scholars to debate with him.
243
