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RELIGIOUS SECTS
to refute his doctrines. Instead of effecting their purpose, however, they became converts, and constituted his Gunadharas, heads of schools, the disciples of Manávira and teachers of his doctrines, both orally and scripturally. It is of some interest to notice them in detail, as the epithets given to them are liable to be misunderstood, and to lead to erroneous notions respecting their character and history.
This is particularly the case with the first, INDRABHÚTI, or GAUTAMA, who has been considered as the same with the GAUTAMA of the Bauddhas, the son of Máyádevi, and author of the Indian metaphysics'. That any connexion exists between the Jain and the Bráhmana Sage is, at least, very doubtful; but the GAUTAMA of the Bauddhas, the son of SUDDHODANA and Máyś, was a Kshattriya, a prince of the royal or warrior caste. All the Jain traditions make their GAUTAMA a Brahman, originaily of the Gotra, or tribe of GOTAMA Rishi, a division of the Brahmans well known, and still existing in the South of India. These two persons therefore cannot be identified, whether they be historical or fictitious personages.
INDRABHÚTI, AGNIBHÚTI, and VÁYUBHÚTI are described as the sons of VASUBHÚTI, a Brahman of the Gotama tribe, residing at Govara, a village in Magadha: from their race, HEMACHANDRA, in the Commentary on the Vocabulary *, observes, they are all
R. A. S. Transactions, Vol. I, p. 538. * [Śl. 31. Weber, Ueber das Šatrunjaya Mahátmyam, p. 3 - 5.]
