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PART II GANADHARS AND ÄCHÄRYAS
07-Ganadhar Sudharmä-swämi
Ganadhars are the immediate disciples of a Tirthankar. Bhagawän Mahävir had eleven Ganadhars. All of Bhagawan Mahavir's monks were divided into 11 groups and each group was placed under a Ganadhar. When Bhagawan Mahavir attained Nirvana, only two of the eleven Ganadhars were still living, the first Ganadhar, Gautamswämi and the fifth Ganadhar, Sudharmä-swämi.
Of the two, Gautam swämi attained keval-jnän the day after Mahävir's nirväna. It is a Jain tradition that a kevali monk or nun remains in a meditative state for the rest of his/her life and does not provide a leadership role to other monks. Hence, Sudharmä-swämi became the leader of all of the ascetics and the entire Jain community.
Ganadhar Sudharmä-swämi
Sudharmä-swämi was the son of a learned Brahmin named Dhammil and his wife Bhaddilä. They lived in a village called Kollag, now known as Kollua, in the state of Bihar. Dhammil and Bhaddilä had both been longing for a child, and Bhaddilä worshipped goddess Saraswati (goddess of knowledge) faithfully. It is said that the goddess, pleased by her devotion, blessed Bhaddilä by promising her a highly accomplished son. Soon after that, Bhaddilä became pregnant, and in due course gave birth to a son named Sudharmä. He was born in 607 BCE, making him eight years older than Lord Mahävir.
Sudharmä grew up under the loving care of his parents. At an appropriate age, he went to a well-known Äshram (boarding school), where he diligently studied the Vedas, Upanishads, and all other Hindu (Brahmanical) pieces of literature. By the time he returned from school, he was famous and well respected as a learned brahmin pundit.
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JAIN STORY BOOK
