Jain Legend Vol 3

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

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may produce disastrous results in future. With these concerns uppermost in their minds, these reformist c ryas of the psychic traditions of Jain congregation tried to reconcile with all other material based traditions of various congregations, gacchas and ga as who had earlier drifted away from them. From the existence of many writings in Maha Ni tha in its present version, one can easily conclude that c rya Hari Bhadra in Vikram 757-827, had introduced many improvisations and rewrote many parts of Mah Ni tha.
The only manuscript of Mah Ni tha available at that time as original now had many parts of it being destroyed by termites. There were many lines / many words and at times many pages (as much as 3) were destroyed. The main objective in rewriting and improvising this termite infested manuscript of Mah Ni tha, of Hari Bhadra and eight other friends of different congregations, was to eliminate the growing differences and rivalries prevailing amongst different Jain congregations, as well as to bring reconciliation amongst many congregations, gacchas, ga as and other formations in Jain congregation. Therefore Hari Bhadra and eight other c ryas of different congregations improvised Mah Ni tha by introducing many pages having interlinked changes in Mah Ni tha. Hari Bhadra and other c ryas also introduced such daily religious rituals for Jain followers which were hitherto totally prohibited in original scriptures. Such acts of these reformist c ryas lead us to infer that these c ryas accepted the changes in conduct that has been made so far by the materials based traditions or that has been deeply ingrained in the minds of the followers as religiously correct or those traditions which were difficult to be eliminated, acceptable as an integral part of the original code of conduct and doctrine.
To reconcile the irreconcilable problem / conflict among the materials based and psychic based traditions, Hari Bhadra and eight other c ryas unanimously accepted the changes made by material based traditions so far. Perhaps the second reconciliation accepted unanimously by these
c ryas was of changes introduced by temple dwellers tradition early during their formative period and deeply ingrained in the minds of the follower of Jainism. Alongwith idol worship, even the use of mantras and attainment of various extra ordinary powers were also included in the religious duties of the followers.
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