Jain Journal 2002 10

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

Page 14

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Dulichand Jain Pratibha Jain : Mahavira the Great Wanderer Tirtha or the religious order. Thus emerged the religious order of Mahävira - the Caturvidha Sangha - the four-fold congregation of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen.
Such a magnificient incident reached far and wide and thousands of men and women came to listen to the discourses of Mahävīra wherever he went. It is said that not just humans, but animals and birds were also attracted to his discourses. The rich and the poor, kings and their ministers, merchants, fariners, craftmen and all classes of
ple were sanctified by his scrinons. Many became his disciples and followers.
The Sangha cvolved efficiently under the ablc adininistration of Mahāvīra. Indrabhūti became the first prime disciple of Mahävira. He, along with the ten Vedic scholars, became the eleven Ganadharas. They formed the nucleus of the new order and composed all the rules of conduct and scriptural literature, which they later narrated to other disciples.
The Sangha was instrumental in providing proper guidance to the monks and nuns and in inspiring the layinen and laywomen to look after the monks and nuns. In the Sangha, no distinction was inade between men and women, and the Brahmins and Sūdras. All were inspired, all were einbraced, all were transformed. The women being initiated as nuns was indeed a revolution in those times. For Mahāvīra, it was just a natural culmination of his respect for humanity.
The Sangha expanded very quickly. Soon, there were 14,000 monks, 36,000 nuns, 1,59,000 laymen and 3,18,000 laywomen. Their code of conduct consisted of a five-fold spiritual discipline. These are five vratas or vows of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-possession. This scheme of vows was very strict and rigid for the ascetics called the mahāvratas (Great Vows). They were advised not to stay in any place for more than a month except during Caturmāsa (the rainy season) and to wander about only on foot.
The householders had to follow the five vows also, but their rules were modified and less strict known as the anuvratas (Small Vows). Their duties extended to taking care of the ascetics, providing a temporary dwelling for them and propagating the cause of religion. This four-fold religious order was a self-governing and self-sufficient system.
For thirty long years, this great wanderer moved from place to placc preaching the Jaina religion and its code of conduct as a way of