Jaina Culture

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 24

ANTIQUITY AND HISTORY
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Jamali, who was the son-in-law of Mahāvīra and had entered his Church, left the Order after some time and founded a new sect known as Bahurata. He is regarded as the first schismatic (nihnara) in the Jaina Church.
Lord Mahavira passed the last thirty years of his life as the omniscient tirthankara. He spent his last rainy season at Păpă (Pavapuri). On the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kärttika the Lord attained liberation there at the age of seventy-two. The eighteen confederate kings of Kast and Koala (and eighteen kings) belonging to the Mallaki and Lecchaki clans were present there at that time. Thinking that the spiritual light of knowledge 'has vanished with the passing away of the Lord they made a material illumination by lighting lamps.
Lord Mahāvīra was the head of an excellent community of 14000 monks, 36000 nuns, 159000 male lay-votaries and 318000 female lay-votaries. The four groups designated as monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen constitute the four-fold Order (tirtha) of Jainism. One who makes such an Order is known as tirthankara. Tirthankara Mahāvīra's followers comprised three categories of persons: ascetics, lay-votaries and sympathisers or supporters. Indrabhūti ( monk), Candanā (nun), etc., form the first category. Sarkha (layman), Sulasă (laywoman), etc., come under the second category. Śreņika (Bimbisāra), Kaņika (Ajātaśatru), Pradyota, Udāyana, Cellana, etc., form the third category. The tirthankara's tirtha or sangha consisted of only the first two categories. Sudbarman, Jamba, Bhadrababu and Sthulabhadra :
Of the eleven principal disciples (ganadharas) of Lord Mahavira, only two, viz., Indrabhati and Sudharman survived him. After twenty years of the liberation of Mahāvīra Sudharman also attained emancipation He was the last of the eleven gañadharas to die. Jambū, the last omniscient, was his pupil. He attained salvation after sixty-four years of the liberation of Mahāvira. Bhadrabahu, belonging to