Jain Legend Vol 2

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

Page 283

existence in V.N. 609, in the same way, the Digambara sect asserts that the Sevada congregation or wetapa a (white clothes) congregation (vet mbara congregation) came into existence in V.N. 606.
Devasena S ri, the author of Bh vasamgraha wrote - "136 years after the death of Vikram ditya, the vet mbara congregation originated in Vallabh Nagara in Saurastra".
In this connection, Devasena S ri giving special information says that, "In the 2nd century, after Vikram ditya's death, Bhadrab hu, a great occult c rya, warned his rama a congregation that a famine would break up in the near future that would last for 12 years; and so he asked them to go away to different places with their community. So while all the Ga adharas as per his advice migrated to the South along with their disciples, c rya called nti with his great number of disciples went to Vallabh Nagara in Saurastra, where he had to confront the most dreadful famine. There the calamitous situation reached such pinnacle that the poor hungry people used to tear open the stomach of those who had just eaten something and eat that food, thus quench their pangs of hunger. As there was no way out from such terrifying situation, c rya nti and his monks started using the requisites like stick, blanket, bowl, etc and wore clothes. They started eating along with the householders in their homes, sitting beside them.
When the famine was over and normal conditions prevailed, c rya
nti addressing all the monks of the congregation, said, "Now, as the conditions restored back to normalcy, let us get rid of the low conduct that we adopted, undergo repentance to wash off the effects of the wrong deeds and follow our original, pure, virtuous code of rama a Dharma”.
The disciples reacted to this and said, "How can we observe those Stringent and arduous rules now? Whatever methods we have adopted and have been observing are easy to follow; it is comfortable; so it is impossible for us to abandon them at this juncture.”
When c rya nti tried to persuade them repeatedly and ultimately expressed his anger, his chief disciple struck him with a stick on his head with all his strength. c rya nti died at once and was born as a Vyantara (low-class angel).
283