Book Title: Jain Legend Vol 2
Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana
View full book text
________________
Acalabhrt had same V can and hence was considered as one Ga a. Similarly tenth and eleventh Ga adharas, Meth rya and Prabh sa, had same V can . Thus, based on the similarity of V can , out of the last four ga adharas, two each had one same V can . Hence there are eleven ga adharas, but only nine Ga as.
After the eleven chief disciples compiled the 14 p rvas, Lord Mah v ra designated them as Ga adharas.
Commentators wrote that rya Sudharm had more longevity compared to other ga adharas, and that he would take the Dharma – congregation forward, Lord Mah v ra gave the responsibility of the ga a (ga a ki anuj ) to Sudharm . And out of substance, attributes and modes, he gave command of the creed 'anuj of T rtha' to Indrabh ti, i.e., he designated Indrabh ti as the leader of T rtha and Sudharm as the leader of ga a.
Jain literature is full of evidences which, reestablishes the fact that except Sudharm the rest of ga adharas lived short and handed over the administrative responsibility of their ga as to Sudharm, and attained liberation.
The supreme personality of Indrabh ti
Wealth, pomp and show and high position do not make a person great. A person becomes great by his personality. Describing the personality of Indrabh ti in Bhagavat and Up saka Da mga it is said:
Monk / rya / A ag ra Indrabh ti, the senior most monk of Lord Mah v ra was the bearer of, Ugratapa, D ptatapa, Taptatapa and Mah tapa. He was merit - meritorious and a celibate since birth. He was detached towards the body, had acquired special powers due to practice of penance which he tried to conceal, a knower of fourteen prior canons (Caturda a Prvadh r) and a master of the four types of knowledge. He also acquired attainments like Sarv dh ra and Sannip ta. He was very brilliant also. He used to sit erect, neither at a distance nor close to Lord Mah v ra and the head bent down in humility. He never diverted his concentration from the lotus feet of Lord. He was a practioner (S dhaka) of self-restraint and made his soul pure with penance. Though he was a
56
