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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The reason being, any pontiff follows and propagates the commandments, preaching, ideals and the doctrines of his founder religious leader and encourages others to follow them. However, the selfrealisation and self-perception of an omniscient is so comprehensive that he is totally aware of the entire world (with its beings and objects) and perceives them in front of his very eyes. So, instead of quoting, "I am saying what Lord has said” he is in a position to claim, “I am explaining whatever I have realised”. In such a situation, while teaching and explaining the meaning of Dw da mg, propounded by T rthamkara Mah v ra to the group of ascetics, no omniscient can say that "Lord Mah v ra has perceived like this, has realised like this and has this". As he knows and perceives by himself, he says, “I am seeing in such a way”, “I know it this way” and “I am saying whatever I know and I perceive". As such, the tradition of ruta-parampar (the system of handing down the scriptural knowledge, unbroken and unimpaired from generation to generation) started by the latest T rthamkara will no more remain as 'Lord Mah v ra's tradition', instead will be termed as ruta parampar of the Keval Gautama.
Taking into consideration the aforesaid facts, to sustain and carry forward the preaching of Lord Mah v ra up to the end of the fifth epoch / time period (Araka), and to follow his instructions which lead the practitioners onto the path of elevation, Omniscient Gautama was not considered as the first Successor, instead Caturda a p rvadhara and manah paryavaj ni Sudharm was considered as the first pontiff.
In the chapter dealing with rya Sudharm , under the sub-heading “The Author of the present Dw da mg” the topics of Dw da mg are narrated in an elaborate and descriptive manner. Discrepancy between
vet mbaras and Digambaras regarding the authorship of Dw da mg is also discussed in this chapter to the possible extent.
The unanimous opinion expressed in all the authentic scriptures of the
vet mbara sect undisputedly states that after Lord Mah v ra clarified their respective doubts, Indrabh ti Gautama together with ten other ga adharas, took 'initiation of rama a Dharma from Him. The same day, after attaining the knowledge of trio of reality (Tripad) from the omniscient Lord and upon being conferred the rank of ga adhara, on the basis of the preaching of the Lord, they at first compiled fourteen P rvas
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