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kumbhakāra-śreņi, citrakāra-śreņi etc. [1.8.80 (p.382) od edn. ; 1.8.90 (p.390) Quid edn.]. The Jaina texts like Șațkhandāgama have used the word śreņi which suggests the spiritual status of an aspiror. The doctrine of guņaśreņi is found elaborately in the Șațkhandāgama (1st century A.D.)
The term 'gana' in the Arthaśāstra possesses a common meaning i.e. “a group'. Kautilya refers ‘ksatriya' and 'śreņi' as the examples of samghas (republican states) but he does not recognize it as samgha-rājyas or gaņa-rājyas. (Hivargaonkar p.32)
The reference of Ācārānga is extremely important in this matter because it presents a list of the modes of administration. The text runs as - अरायाणि वा गणरायाणि वा जुवरायाणि वा दोरज्जाणि वा विरुद्धरज्जाणि वा ।
(Ācārānga 2.12.1.7) The names of gañarājyas (republic states) are noted by the Indologists by the help of the Greek historians. Therefore the mention of gañarājyas in the Ācārānga is valuable. We find the example of dveirājya' (Prakrit-dorāyā) in the Avaśyaka-cūrņi, in which dual kingship of Candragupta and Parvataka is mentioned.
The term “gaņa' is used in the Jaina history for a particular group of monks. There were eleven ganadharas who got instructions from lord Mahāvīra and divided these religious preachings into eleven anga-granthas.
Furtheron, the Jaina mūlasmghas were divided into different ganas and gacchas. Here the word gana is used in its narrower sense.
Thus the usage of the terms ‘gana' and 'samgha' goes back to the ancient political history of Magadha, Anga, Vanga and Kalinga. [7] Danda :
There is no need to say that Kautilya is very much cautious
