Jainism And Its History

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

Page 82

gana and its four branches described in the Kalpasūtra all other ganas, families and branches are related to the tradition of Sthulabhadra's disciples and then their disciples and so on thus the Acelaka Nirgrantha-Sangha of south followed from Bhadrabahu and the Sacela Nirgarntha tradition of the North developed and continued from Sthulabhadra. In this canto Uttara Balissaha gana, Uddheh Gana, Uddheh Gana, Kotika Gana, Carana Gana, Mānava Gaṇa, Vesavādiya Gaṇa, Uddavādiya Gana etc. are the main Ganas. These Ganas had many branches and sub-branches. The Sthaviravali of Kalpasūtra mentions all of them but in its last part it mentions only one tradition of Acāryas of Vajri branch belonging to Kotika-Gana. These branches continued till the time of Devardhigani Kṣamaśramana (Vira Nirvāņa Samvat 980).
We come to know about the tradition of Ācārya Sthulabhadra from Sthaviravali of Kalpasūtra, its numerous Gaņas, branches, subs-branches, etc. that is further substantiated from the records of Mathura, which authenticates the Sthaviravali of Kalpasūtra. The Pattāvali (genealogical list) of Digambara tradition up to 1000 years of Mahāvīra's Nirvāņais certainly later and secondly it does not have any ancient literary ordocumentary evidence to substantiate it except mentioning Bhadrabahu's name. And the evidential related to Bhadrabāhu is also new. Thus from a historical perspective their authenticity can be questioned. The significant changes that have taken place in the Nirgrantha-sangha of north India after Mahāvīra's Nirvāņa up to 1st and 2nd century AD can be understood with the help of Āgamas in Ardhamagadhi and with the art at Mathura. The special feature of Mathura art is that Tirthankara's idols are naked, but they hide their nudity with a cloth or a blanket. Besides cloth and blanket, all such objects such as bowl, bag. mouth-cloth piece and Pratilekhana (the object to clean the Jainism and its History 80