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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M. A. Dhaky
Jambu-jyoti
century as earlier had been suggested here on the basis of an inscription, on the holy hill Katavapra, concerning Säntisena, of c. mid seventh century. Bhräjisnu, in the Arādhanā-tīkā (c. late 9th or early 10th Cent.), positively associates Bhadrabāhu and Candragupta with the Sravanabelgola hill. On this point, Harisena's Brhadkathākośa (A.D. 931) comes in conflict with the Bhrājisnu's tīkā. For it reports that Bhadrabāhu, after the prediction he made, retired from Ujjain to (some site in) Bhādrapradadeśa where he died by resorting to avamodarya or progressively decreased intake of food, the latter fact, without mentioning the locale sinvolved, was noted earlier and originally in Sivārya's Ārādhanā (c. early 6th cent). The Brhadkathākośa throws no light on Bhadrabāhu's disciple Candragupta as to what he did and where he was after he embraced the Order. Bhrājisnu, however, avers that he was with Bhadrabāhu when the latter passed away in Śravanabelagola by anaśana rite : and the sage Candragupta, who stayed over there, died sometime after the 12 years' draught. The Northern sources say nothing on how and where Bhadrabāhu died.
9) The most intriguing point is the presence of Bhadrabāhu simultaneously at two places and, on the opposite score, also in two times as deduced from two completely contradictory reports :(1) during and after the draught, he was in Nepāla; and (2) just before the onset of draught, he was in Sravanabelgola and his passing away there very soon after ! The Northern records, available from c. mnid sixth century onwards are unanimous that, when the Pātaliputra Synod was convoked after the draught for the redaction of the agamas in c. B.C. 300 (or a few years before that date), Bhadrabāhu was in Nepāla and Sthūlabhadra-disciple of Bhadrabāhu's confrère Arya Sambhūta (and son of Sakatāra, minister of Nanda)—was sent by the Paraliputra Council to Bhadrabāhu for learning the 14 Pūrva-texts from him. The Southern literary sources, all of which are late, on the other hand, claim that Bhadrabāhu was in Ujjayani, had predicted the onset of 12 years draught, and either before or just at the beginning of the 12 years famine, proceeded either to Bhadrapadadeśa where he passed away by reduction in food-intake, or to Sravanabelgola where he went along with his royal disciple Candragupta, passed away by anaśana rite, and had sent the Sangha with his disciple Viśākhācārya to Southern India (Tamilnadu). The Southern sources, moreover, show no knowledge about the Pätaliputra Synod which assembled after the long draught and that