Jain Journal 1976 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

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as is evidenced by the literary and epigraphical records84. It is known from an inscription of Sravana Belgola (Pra. Bha., No. 1)85 that first of all Bhadrabahu came to South India and founded Jainadharma there. But according to the evidence of an inscription (No. 98)86 of the kings of the Kadamba dynasty, there was the existence of two great communities of Jaina Sangha in the fourth-fifth century A. D., viz. Svetapata Mahasramana and Nirgrantha Mahasramana Sangha87. Like this there is found in some inscriptions of this dynasty mention of the Sanghas called Yapaniya and Kurcaka88 which were different from the above mentioned two Sanghas in any way. It is possible that Bhadrabahu founded Nirgrantha Sampradaya there, although there is no reference to the name of the founder of this community in the inscription. The monks who came to the South with Bhadrabahu by the middle of the fourth century B. C. seem to have formed an undivided monastic order called Mulasangha.
According to the Mahavamsa89, the Buddhist Pali work, in which the account of the royal families of Lanka is found, the consecration of king Pandukabhaya took place after 106 years of the Buddha's nirvāṇa. He founded Anuradhapur in the beginning of his reign where he constructed many buildings for the Nirgrantha Sramanas". It is clearly proved by this evidence of the Nirgranthas that there was the existence of the Nirgranthas in Lankao1 in the 106th year of the Buddha-nirvāna.
It is said that the propagation of Buddhism into Lanka was made by Mahendra, the son of king Asoka after 236 years of the nirvana of the Buddha. On the basis of this fact it is proved that the propagation of Jainadharma took place at least 730 years, before the advent of Buddhadharma into Ceylon. Perhaps Jainadharma reached there from South India under the auspices of Jaina mission, as the intercourse between the Tamils and the Ceylonese took place from the time immemorial. When Bhadrabahu led his mission to the South with the retinue of his
JAIN JOURNAL
84 Jaina Silalekh Sangraha, Pts. I-IV. and see Jainism in South India by P. B. Desai.
Jaina Silalekh Sangraha, Pt. I. No. 1, pp. 1-2.
86 Inscription No. 98, J. S. S., Pt. II, pp. 69-70.
87 svetapata mahasramanasamghopabhogaya tritiyo Nirgranthamahasramanasanghopabhogaya, etc, J. S. S. II, pp. 69-70.
88 "sri vijayapatasikayam yapaniya-nirgrantha kurccakakanam, etc. Jaina Silalekh Sangraha, Pt II, p. 73, Inscription No. 99.
89 Mahavamsa, Rajavamsavali, translated by Welhelm Geiger, Pali Text Society, London, 1912, p. 75 and Introduction, p. XXXVI.
Ibid.
Bharatiya Samskrti-men Jaindharma-ka Yogdan by Dr. H. L. Jain, p. 36.
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