Jain Journal 2007 01

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

Page 24

Chitta Ranjan Pal: Jambusvami in the Agamas
last "Kevalin among the Nirgranthas. After him "both Mokṣa and omniscience were closed to men.'
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Jambūsvāmi, who was neither a direct disciple of Śramaņa Bhagavan Mahāvīra nor a Ks triya (or a Brahmin) by caste was invested with the patriarchate of the Nirgranthas at a very yong age, unlike his predecessor Sudharman who was made the patriarch of the monastic organisation of the Nirgranthas at a mature age of eighty (80).
It is likely that after his investiure to the patriachate of the Nirgrannthas, he spent his youthful energies on one hand in attaining the omniscient knowledge, the goal of a Jaina monk, and on the other hand, consolidating as well as expanding the Nirgrantha's monastic organisation to the East beyond Anga - Magadha territories.
But the monastic achievement of this Mahamuni of the Nirgrantha community who as the first non-ganadhara patriarch received all the sermons of Śramaṇa Bhagavan Mahāvīra from his preceptor Sudharmasvami gradually faded out from the memory of the Nirgrantha-fraternity even before a century had elapsed since the mokṣa of this great saint in the year 463 BC (according to traditional reckoning) and c, 403, B.C. as per Western calculation. The echo of this apparent oblivion of the memory of this Mahāmuni may be heard in the "List of the Sthaviras" or "Theravali, the second Book of the Kalpa-Sutra of "Bhadrabahusvāmī.
The name "Jambu" is mentioned at three different places in the "Theravali" or "The list of Sthaviras" of the holy Kalpasūtra."
In one place mention is made of Arya Jambūnāman, the discipie of Arya Sudharman belonging to Kasyapagotra. In another place mention is made of "Jambu, a disciple of Sambhutavijaya without any honorofic like arya or sthavira and gotra name. Agai mention is made of 'Jambu' in the ninth (9th) gāthā appended to "The Theravali or "The list of the Sthaviras" with the honorofic sthavia and belonging to the "Gautamagotra" The gatha (IX), mentioned above, is quoted below.