Book Title: Jain Legend Vol 2
Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana
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c rya r Bhadrab hu
Bhadrab hu was the seventh Pontiff. He was born in a Brahmin family of congregation Gotra in 94 V.N. in Prati hanpura. He spent 45 years with the family as a householder and after that in 139 V.N. he was initiated into Nirgramtha rama a monkhood by crya Ya obhadra Sw m, the 5th Pontiff. Serving his great & learned Guru, he concentrated & learnt Dw da mg and became a rutakeval . In the year 148 V.N. at the time of demise, crya Ya obhadra Sw m appointed him also as the c rya of the congregation together with r Sambh tavijaya. During the period from 148 to 156 V.N. under the leadership of his elder co-disciple
c rya Sambh tavijaya, apart from teaching the canonic literature to rama as, he greatly served the congregation.
After Sambh tavijaya, the sixth Pontiff departed for heaven, he took complete charge of the congregation in 156 V.N. He did a great service to the congregation by composing the four Cheda S tras.
Many subsequent cryas have believed that this last Caturda a Prvadhara crya Bhadrab hu wrote commentaries for the following S tras: (1) cr mga (2) S tra k at mga (3) va yaka (4) Da avaik lika (5) Uttar dhayana (6) Da a ruta ska dha (7) Kalpa (8) Vyavah ra (9) Surya Praj apti and (10) ibh ita, considered as a person with great occult crya powers, he is also ascribed with the creation of Upasargahara Stotra, Bhadrab hu Samhit as well as Vasudeva Caritra consisting of 1,25,000 verses. This will be discussed further wherever the context demands. c rya Bhadrab hu Sw m imparted the knowledge of ten p rvas, minus two topics, along with its meaning, and the last four Prvas in its original text without meaning to the virtuous rama a rya Sth labhadra and thus saved the ancient knowledge from being lost.
c rya Bhadrab hu was a great ascetic, a wonderful religious teacher, a transcendental scholar in all the canons, and a great yogi of his time. For 12 years, he practiced intense yoga in the form of Mah pra-dhy na. In Indian history, examples of such extensive yoga Spiritual-exertion are seldom found. From 156 to 170 V.N., for 14 years, during his tenure as the c rya of the congregation, he travelled far and wide, spreading the message of Lord Mah v ra and extolled Jainism in all aspects.
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