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 after rya Vajrasena. He served the Jain Order for 69 long years and departed for heavenly abode in V.N. 689.
Birth Initiation
V.N. 573 V.N. 593
Household life duration 20 years
Tenure as an ordinary | 27 years Monk Tenure as c rya
69 years Total longevity
116 years
Became c rya Heavenly abode
V.N. 620 V.N. 689
c rya S mantabhadra - group- c rya
After rya Candra S ri departed to the heavenly abode in V.N. 643,
c rya S mantabhadra became the 16" group- c rya. Though he was a scholar in the knowledge of Prvas, he was the worshipper of unblemished character. Wandering with detachment to observe the path of self-restraint with utmost purity, he used to camp only in the forests, gardens, abode of Yak as, desolate temples etc. He was called as Vanav s’ (forest dweller) due to his immense detachment towards worldly matters and his love to stay in forests and his disciple monks were known as belonging to 'Vanav s Gaccha'. It is stated that 'Vanav s Gaccha' was the fourth name of 'Nirgramtha Gaccha' of Saudharmak la. The utterance of the word 'Vanav s’ brings to mind the word ‘Vastiv s’ (or monastery living) because of its similarity.
From Lord Mah v ra to rya Sudharm , even though the monks camped mostly in forests, yet the then rama as were called as Nirgramtha
rama as and not Vanav s rama as, because at that time there was no other alternative as Vastiv s rama as'.
As, the order of ascetics went through the names of Nirgramtha Gaccha, Kautika Gaccha and Candra Gaccha and their contact with people went on increasing, it is natural that the monks might have started primarily living in localities (as opposed to forests and gardens). Probably after
rya Rak ita, laxity in the path of strict conduct of the ascetics became quite rampant. So, S mantabhadra, in order to preserve the rules of temperance and the severe austerities in their original form, preferred Vanav sa (dwelling in forest) as a measure to arrest the laxity in the code of conduct. This Strict preference of Vanay sa to prevent laxity, might
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