Arya Bhadrabahu

Author(s): M A Dhaky
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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Ārya Bhadrabāhu
135
in Umāsvāti's Praśamarati-prakarana (c. A.D. 350), which tacitly hints to the myth of Sthūlabhadra's vanity due to his acquiring magical powers through the sacred literature and, as its consequence, he generated in his psyche (a sub-variety of) kasāya-passion called śruta-mada/vanity due to possessing (the rare) knowledge of the canon, the knowledge which otherwise was meant for eliminating vanity of all kinds99 :
माषतुषोपाख्यानं श्रुतपर्यायप्ररूपणां चैव । श्रुत्वाऽति विस्मयकरं विकरणं स्थूलभद्रमुनेः ।। सम्पकोद्यमसुलभं चरणकरसाधकं श्रुतज्ञानम् । लब्ध्वा सर्वमदहरं तेनैव मदः कथं कार्यः ।।
-rauchtut 84-8€ The medieval commentator of the Praśamarati-prakarana, namely Haribhadra sūri (A.D. 1129)100, thus explains the content of those verses relating to Sthūlabhadra and tacitly hints to the episode due to which (the quantitative) degradation/disappearance of the scripture or canon (śruta-viccheda) began:
'अतिविस्मयकरश्च विकरणं' वैकियसिंहरूपनिर्माणंस्थूलभद्रमहर्षेर्जामिआर्यिकाणां दर्शनाय, आगमाभियोगनितं लब्धिविकरणं श्रुतसम्प्रदायविच्छेदं....101
The next source, the Āvasyaka-cürni (c. A.D. 600-650), follows the Tirthāvakālika in time as well as in content, but specifies two additional details (not noted in the Tirthāvakālika), the first being that the drought had lasted for 12 years (as is also stated in the Southern sources) and, second, Bhadrabāhu had moved to Nepāla during that distressful period 102.
The third source, the Kathāvali of Bhadreśvara süri (c. late 10th cent.), repeats what the Tirthāvakälika as well as the Avaśyaka-cūrni record, differing only on a few minor details, or adding small particulars not mentioned by the former two sources. Like the cūrni, it states that Bhadrabāhu with Sthūlabhadra eventually had moved to Pātaliputra 103, apparently after the major part of instruction to Sthūlabhadra on the Purvatexts was over while in Nepāla.
The fourth source in sequence is the Parisista-parva of Hemacandra14 It clarifies a couple of points left partially unilluminated by the former three works. Plausibly, on the basis of what is noted in the Avasyaka-cūrni, it records that, at the time of the Pătaliputra Synod for the redaction of