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Arya Bhadrabāhu
113
900). Moreover, the Śravanabelgoļa inscription no. 251 at the Bhadrabāhu cave on Cikkabeta and datable to c. 11th cent. A. D., the two epigraphs from Humca (A.D. 1075, 1077) and one other there datable to the c. 13th cent. A. D.33 are to some extent relevant to the discussions in the present context. All of these will be discussed in section VI where they have a direct pertinence.
. IV
The Deducible Facts from Sources While focusing on this aspect, the first to be noticed, since more ancient, are the Northern sources 34. The second Phase of the Sthavirāvali of the Paryusanä-kalpa (c. 1st cent. A.D.) notices two disciples of Arya Yaíobhadra (the fourth patriarch after the apostle Sudharmā), namely Arya Sambhūtavijaya and Arya Bhadrabāhu as earlier stated. It next turns to Arya Sthūlabhadra (the disciple of Arya Sambhūta) and his seven successors up to Arya Vajrasena and next mentions the latter's four disciples. Hereunder I quote from the text (after removing the Mahārāstrī affectations and, as its consequence, restoring the original Ardhamāgadhī linguistic form) only that portion which has relevance to Bhadrabāhu :
थेरस्स नं अज्जजसभद्दस्स तुंगियायनगुत्तस्स अंतेवासी दुबे थेरा-थेरेअज्जसम्भूतविजए माढरसगुत्ते, थेरे अज्जभद्दबाहु पाईनस गुत्ते।
This statement reports that Bhadrabāhu was the disciple of Arya Yaíobhadra and had belonged (prior to ordination) to the family having the Prācīna-gotra, which, in essence, may imply that he belonged to the "Prācī” or eastern country35. The country immediately easterly in relation to Magadha is Varendra with Vanga including ancient Rādha (called Lādha in Māgadhī), these being the major territories forming ancient (as well as undivided modern) Bengal.(The Nandi-sthavirävali (c. A.D. 450], as remarked earlier, repeats this information36.)
The literary passage immediately next in sequence is the enlarged version of the hagiographical list-the Phase 3 of the Sthavirāvali of the aforenoted Paryusanā-kalpa—which thus runs :
थेरस्स नं अज्जजसभद्दस्स तुंगियायनगुत्तस्स इमो दो थेरा अन्तेवासी अहावच्चा अभिन्नाता हुत्था ।। तं जथा-थेरे अज्जभद्दबाहु पाईनसगुत्ते, थेरे अज्जसम्भूतविजए माढरसगुत्ते। थेरस्स नं अज्जभद्दबाहुस्स पाईनसगुत्तस्स इमे चत्तारि थेरा अन्तेवासी अहावच्चा अभिन्नाता हुत्था । तं जथा-थेरे गोदासे १, थेरे अग्गिदत्ते २, थेरे जन्नदत्ते ३, थेरे सोमदत्ते ४ कासवगुत्तेनं । थेरेहितो गोदासहिंतो कासवगुत्तेहिंतो इत्थं नं
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