Book Title: Dravyasamgraha
Author(s): Nemichandra Acharya, Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp

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Page 211
________________ Dravyasamgraha There were eleven Gañadharas in Lord Mahavira’s congregation, with Gautamasvami, also known as Indrabhuti or Gautam Gañadhara, as His chief disciple. As per the teachings of Lord Mahavira, Gautamasvami compiled the most sacred canonical Scriptures comprising twelve parts (Dvādaśānga), also referred to as eleven Angas and fourteen Purvas, since the twelfth Anga includes the fourteen Pūrvas. These Scriptures contained the most comprehensive and accurate description of every branch of learning that one needs to know. The knowledge contained in these Scriptures was transmitted orally by the teachers to their disciple saints. During the next sixty-two years after liberation (Nirvāṇa) of Lord Mahavira, sequentially, three Anubaddha Kevalīs attained omniscience (kevalajñāna) - Gautam Gañadhara, Sudharmacharya, and Jambusvami. They are called sequential or Anubaddha Kevalis because of the fact that Gautam Ganadhara attained omniscience on the day Lord Mahavira attained liberation, and so on. During the course of the next one hundred years, five Śruta Kevalīs had complete knowledge of the Scriptures; they were Vishnunandi, Nandimitra, Aparajita, Govardhan, and Bhadrabahu. It is generally accepted by the Digambara sect of Jainas that the contents of the original Angas and Pūrvas were gradually lost during the course of the next five hundred years as these were transmitted orally from one generation of Acāryas to the next. Ācārya Bhutabali was the last ascetic who had partial knowledge (of a single Anga) of the original canon. Some learned Ācāryas later on started to restore, compile and put into written words the teachings of Lord Mahavira, that were the subject matter of Dvādaśānga. Acārya Dharasen, during the late first century to early second century CE, guided 194

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