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from them is an important event in Nirgrantha tradition; and also, a comparatively respectful and liberal attitude for the Nirganthas is a sign of partial proximity of the two Sanghas.
DIVISION IN THE NIRGRANTHA TRADITION
Another important event during Bhagwan Mahāvīra’s lifetime is the differences of views with Jamali, considered to be his son-in-law, who then left the Sangha along with his five hundred disciples. In Bhagvati, Āvaśyaka-Nirukti and later literature a detailed description is available of this event. Besides, the occurrence of the division in the Nirgrantha-Sangha another event is mentioned in the Buddhist Pitaka literature according to which, soon after Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa a strong controversy emerged among themonks of his Order and his white-robed disciples. This controversy in the Nirgrantha-Sangha also reached Buddha. But there is no discussion in the Pitaka literature of the reasons of this controversy. One possibility is that this controversy could be on the issue of succession.
Digambaras and Svetambaras have difference of opinion about the first successor of Mahāvīra. Digambara sect considers Gautama as the successor of Mahāvīra, while Svetambaras regard Sudharma as Mahāvīra's successor. The event of Gautama having been sent to the nearby village on a mission to give a spiritual awakening to one Deva Sharma Brahmin is also worth considering in this context. But the other possibility is that by the time of writing of Pitaka literature, the later controversy of Digambaras and Svetambaras was linked to the event of Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa. According to me, if there was any controversy at that time it could be among the śraman as of two kinds: those with clothes and those without clothes i.e.
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