________________
on Kartic Badi 15 in 527 B. C. He had 24000 sadhus (male disciples), 36000 Sadhwis (female disciples), 1,59000 Sravaks (male followers) and 3,18000 Sravikas (female followers).
His principal disciple was Indrabhuti better known as Gautam from his gotra. He was a Brahmin by caste, son of Vasubhuti and Prithivi and was born in 607 B. C. in the village Gobbar (Gobbra or Govaraya) near Rajgriha. He was for 50 years a householder, for 30 years a Chhadamast and 12 years as Kevali and reached nirvan at the age of 92 in 515 B. C.
After Mahavira's nirvan, Sudharma, the fifth gunadhar succeeded to the headship of the Church as Gautam, the first ganadhat became a Kevali, immediately after his Lord's mohsha and Sudhårma was the only available ganadhur. Moreover the Sadhus converted by Gautam died early and other ganadhars yielded up their pupils to Sudharma. The headship therefore fell upon him.
2. Sudharmâ. He was born in 607 B.C. the year in which Gautam was born. He
658
