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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23rd discourse- c rya & 25th epochal- c rya of his time N g rajuna
rya Ng rajuna succeeded rya Himvanta K am rama a. He was a K atriya by birth. His father was Samgrama Simha of hamkaNagara. His mother's name was Suvrat . As soon as the soul of Ng rjuna entered her womb, she saw a thousand headed cobra in her dream. So the child was named N g rjuna. He was impressed by the magical powers of
c rya P dalipta S ri. N g rjuna was a famous chemist of his times. He knew thoroughly the medicinal value and properties of different herbs and vegetation.
The analysis of time and sequence of events brings to light that after epochal- c rya rya Simha attained heaven in V.N. 826, considering the explicit intellect and age, rya Skandila was conferred with the rank of discourse- c rya and simultaneously the young monk rya Ng rjuna was appointed as epochal- c rya. Then, in V.N. 840, when c rya Skandila attained the heavenly abode, eldest monk rya Himvanta was appointed as discourse- c rya and after his demise, in the absence of any other discourse- c rya, the then epochal- c rya rya Ng rjuna was handed over the responsibilities of discourse- c rya too.
It is already mentioned under the topic on rya Skandila that when rya Skandila had convened a council for the recension of the gamas, rya Ng rjuna too at the same time, convened a council in the southern region in Vallabh Nagara. This bears the testimony for the fact that rya Ng rjuna was given the responsibilities of V caka of the congregation. Sequential order of important events of his life is as follows:
Birth Initiation
V.N. 793 V.N. 807
14 years 19 years
Household life duration Tenure as an ordinary Monk Tenure as c rya Total longevity
Became c rya Heavenly abode
V.N. 826 V.N. 904
78 years 111 years
During the period of epochal- c rya rya N g rjuna King Gha otkaca of Gupta dynasty ruled upto V.N. 846. After his death, his son Candragupta-I expanded the Kingdom.
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