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APPENDIX
OF IMPORTANT REFERENCES.
Verse I. Page 2
A. The Jinas and the Jineśraras. The epithet “Ganadhara " or the leader of the assembly was first applied to Gautama of Brahmapura who became a disciple of the twenty-fourth Tirthankara Mahåvîra. There were other Gañadharas after Gautama. Gañadharas are also called Jinas, or the victors and the Jinesvaras or Lords of Jinas are the Tirthankaras themselves.
Gautama was called a Gañadhara when he became a desciple of Mahâvîra after the latter had attained omniscience. The attainment of omniscience (Kerala Jñâna) is preceded by complete eradication of the four Gbâtiya Karmas, viz., Jñânâvaraņiya, Darsanâvaraņiya, Mohaniya and Antarâya. There is no Asrava or influx of Karmas Consequently there is no voluntary physical motion and therefore no speech which is the result of the motion of tongue, lips, etc. The voice of silence, the letterless speech, the Divya-vâņi which proceeds from the Arhat is due to the good and strong Karmic energy of the audience. Therefore there must be an individual among the audience so learned as to be capable of interpreting this voice of silence. There was no such person present in the court (Samavasaraṇa) of Mahâvîra when he attained omniscience. The Arch-angel of the first Empyrian then thought of the learned Brahmin Gautama of Brahmapura. He went to Gautama in the assumed form of a poor old Brahmin and asked him to explain to him the meaning of a Sloka. Gautama was quite perplexed when he heard the Sloka and being unable to understand its purport, proposed to go and discuss the meaning of it with Mahâvîra himself, the preceptor of that poor old Brahmin. With this object, he approached the court of Mahâvîra and at the sight of the Manastambha, the pillar at the entrance, his pride disappeared and he entered the court full of reverence and humility. It was then that the voice of eilence was revealed to him and he discoursed upon it to the assembled audience and was called Gañadhara, the leader of the assembly. Such is the Digambar tradition about Gautama,
