Book Title: Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1
Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay
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158 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
the Kuşāna era. The Koţtika gana, according to the Kalpasūtra13, was founded by Sușthita and Supratibuddha, surnamed Kauţika and Kākandaka. It was divided into Ucenāgari, Vidyādhari, Vajri and Madhyamika säkhās and Brahmaliptaka, Vatsaliya, Vaniya and Praśnavāhanaka kulas. This school continued to exist in the Gupta period as it is mentioned in an inscription dated in the year 11314 of the Gupta era. It refers to the setting up of an image by śyāmadhya under instructions from Datilācārya of the Kottiya gana and Vidyadhari sakha.
The head of the Cārana or Våraņa gana of the Kälpasūtra was Āryadatta in the year 2015 and a little more than twenty years later its great preacher was Dinārya. This school was divided into four śākhās and seven kulas. The gana was founded by Sri Gupta of the Hari gotra, according to the Kalpasūtra. A good many śākhas and kulas of this gana or school are noticed in the Kuşāņa records as, for example, Puşyamitrika, Aryacetaya, Kāmajāśika, Petivāmika and Arahațțiya. Some kulas are, however, left out.
The Arya-Uddehikiya gana with its Nāgabhūtikiya kula identified with Nāgabhūya kula of the Uddeha gana had Buddhaśrī as its head in the year 716 and Devadatta in the year 90 17 of the Kuşāņa era. This gana was founded by Arya Rohana of the Kāśyapa gotra and was divided into six kulas and four śakhas out of which only two kulas are mentioned in records.
The Mehika kula of the Vasavadīya gana was founded by Kámarahi of the Kundala gotra. It is mentioned in a record of the year 15.18
These ganas or schools with the different kulas, sākhas and sambhogas created an atmosphere of good will and there is hardly any instance of bitterness in their relations with each other or with Buddhism and Brahmanism, the two other flourishing religions at Mathurā. Out of the records of dedications of statues of Jaina
13 SBE, VIII, p. 231. 14 EI, II, p. 210. 15 EI, II, p. 206, No. 26; Ibid., No. 36. For the division of this gana into
kulas and sakhas--see Kalpasūtra, VIII, p. 320. For a study of the
Jaina ganas see also Bühler : The Indian Sect of the Jainas. 16 EI, I, p. 391, No. 19. 17 IA, XXXIII, p. 105, No. 23. 18 EI, I, p. 282, No. 2.
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