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Religious Divisions in the Jaina Community
The Gaṇas, Gachchhas and others that have arisen from them, are the grantors of eternal bliss. There is between them no difference whatever in their monastic and other practices. If a man imagines any difference in the four Sam ghas, he has travelled beyond the truth and is gone completely into the world. In them ther: is no difference of images nor of penitential observances, nor is there any distinction in their rules and readings.33
A number of Gachchhas came into being in the Svetambara sect also. They originated from the different Jaina teachers, who assumed themselves as heads of their own Gachchhas, alleging differences in religious practices and holding different interpretations of the texts of the Sutras, i.e., holy scriptures. The literature of Svetambara sect has preserved the list of the Suris or hierarchs, right from Arya Sudharman, Mahavira's successor as head of Jaina Church, noting down the important events during their time. Therein, we find that after Udyotana Sūrī, his eighty-four disciples started eighty-four Gachchhas as all of them were 'created Acharyas34 by him. This happened in 937 A. D. at a place named Teli near the famous Mount Abu. The following is a list of the names of the Gachchhas35 commonly found and most of them have become now extinct.
1. Agama
2. Anchala
3. Anpuri
4. Bagheravāla 5. Baherha
6. Bāpanā
7. Barhgachha 8. Baroḍiyā 9. Belia
10. Bharuyachha
11. Bhaṭanera 12. Bahavaharsha 13. Bhavemdra
14. Bhavarā ja 15. Bhimapalli
16. Bhimasena
17. Bhinmala
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18. Bidyadhara
19. Bijaya
20. Birejivāla 21. Boresimgha
22. Bramhana
23. Chitourha
24. Chitravāla
25. Dashiya 26. Dekacharha 27. Dhamdhusha 28. Dharmaghosha 29. Dobamdanika 30. Dokarha 31. Gachhapāla 32. Gaṇadhara 33. Gamgesara 34. Ghamghodharā
35. Ghoghera 36. Ghoshavāla
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37. Gubela
38. Guptaubā 39. Hamsaraka 40. Jalori 41. Jam gorha 42. Javaharaka
43. Jheramtiyā 44. Jīrāvala 45. Chhapara 46. Kachhela 47. Kamalakalaśa 48. Kamboja 49. Kamdobiya 50. Kapurasimgha 51. Kattakapura
