Gandhar Sudharma Swami

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

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07 Ganadhar Sudharmä-swämi
Ganadhars are the immediate disciples of a Tirthankar. Bhagawan Mahavir had eleven Ganadhars. All of Bhagawan Mahavir's monks were divided into 11 groups and each group was placed under a Ganadhar. When Bhagawan Mahavir attained Nirvana, only two of the eleven Ganadhars were still living, the first Ganadhar, Gautam-swämi and the fifth Ganadhar, Sudharmä-swämi.
GANADHAR SUDHARMA-SWÄMI
Gautam-swämi attained Keval-jnän the day after Mahävir's Nirvana. It is a Jain tradition that a Kevali monk or nun remains in a meditative state for the rest of his/her life and does not provide a leadership role to other monks. Hence, Sudharmä-swämi became the leader of all of the ascetics and the entire Jain community after Lord Mahavir's Nirvana.
Sudharmä-swämi was the son of a learned Brahmin named Dhammil and his wife Bhaddilä. They lived in a village called Kollag, now known as Kollua in the state of Bihar, India. Dhammil and Bhaddilä both longed for a child. Bhaddilä worshipped goddess Saraswati (goddess of knowledge) faithfully. It is said that the goddess, pleased by her devotion, blessed Bhaddilä by promising her a highly accomplished son. Soon after that, Bhaddilä became pregnant, and in due course gave birth to a son named Sudharmä. He was born in 607 BC, and was 8 years older than Lord Mahävir.
Sudharmä grew up under the loving care of his parents. At an appropriate age, he went to a well-known Ashram (boarding school), where he studied the Vedas, Upanishads, and all other Hindu (Brahmanical) literature. He was a diligent scholar. By the time he returned from school, he was famous and well respected as a learned Brahmin Pundit. He then started his own school, which became a center of great leaming. Over 500 pupils from all over the country came to study under his tutelage.
At that time in Päväpuri (also known as Apäpä), a city in Bihar, there lived a prosperous Brahmin named Somil. He had organized a great sacrificial Yajna. He invited all the well-known scholars of the time to the event. Indrabhuti Gautam, who was the most learned Brahmin of that time, was the presiding priest. His equally learned brothers, Agnibhuti and Väyubhuti, attended along with seven other well-known Pundits. Sudharmä was also invited.
At the appointed time, the sacrificial ceremony began. At that time, the attendees noticed many celestial chariots descending towards the earth. Indrabhuti and the other priests were jubilant that they could persuade the celestial beings to descend and accept their respects. However, they were soon disappointed to see that the chariots passed over their ceremonial site and continued towards the nearby Mahäsen forest.
The celestial beings had actually come to pay their respects to Bhagawän Mahävir who had arrived at Pavapuri at the same time. After attaining Keval-jnän, Bhagawan Mahavir was going to deliver his first sermon and establish the Jain order.
Indrabhuti was outraged that the celestial beings did not pay their respect to his sacrificial rite. He decided to debate with Mahävir in order to prove to the celestial beings that he was more knowledgeable than Mahävir. So he left with his 500 followers to debate with Mahävir. He went to the place where Lord Mahavir was giving the sermon. As he approached, the Lord welcomed him saying, "Welcome Indrabhuti Gautam." Indrabhuti was surprised. Then Bhagawan Mahavir addressed his doubts pertaining to the
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