Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

Page 280

THE GENESIS OF THE DIGAMBARA-SVETAMBARA SPLIT 273
that the headship of Bhadrabāhu began 156 years after that event and lasted for 14 years. This would mean that Bhadrabahu had ceased to be the head 40 years before the accession of Candragupta Maurya and that they could not be contemporaries. On this showing the famine of Magadha of the time of Bhadrabahu would prove to be different from that which is said to have occurred at the time of Candragupta according to the Nisīthacūrnī. At all events it was distinct from that which took place in Ujjain and carried the monks to South India as Harişeņa reports.
As regards the Svetāmbara story of Sivabhūti, it is contradicted by their own texts, like the Uttarādhyayanasūtra where Kesin connects the practice of nudity with the system of Mahāvīra and that of putting on clothes with that of Pārśva and questions Gautama as to the cause of this difference and in reply the latter states that both are permissible but the essential thing is that one should strive for liberation through right knowledge, faith and conduct. The Ācārāngasūtra also refers to the practice of 1. सिरिवीराउ सुहम्मो वीसं चउचत्तवास जंबुस्स ।
पभवेगारस सिज्जभवस्स तेवीस वासाणि ।। पन्नास जसोभद्दे संभूइस्सट्ठ भद्दबाहुस्स । चउदस य थूलभद्दे पणयालेवं दुपन्नरस ।। Uttaradhyayanasūtra, XXIII, 29-33. अचेलगो य जो धम्मो जो इमो सन्तरुत्तरो। देसिओ वद्धमाणेण पासेण य महाजसा । एगकज्जपवन्नाण विसेसे कि नु कारणम् ? लिगे दुविहे मेहावि ! कहं विप्पच्चओ न ते ? केसिमेवं बुवाणं तु गोयमो इणमब्बवी। विन्नाणेण समागम्म धम्मसाहणमिच्छियं ।। पच्चयत्थं च लोगस्स नाणाविहविगप्पणं । जत्तत्थं गहणत्थं च लोगे लिंगप्पओयणं ।। अह भवे पइन्ना उ मोक्खसब्भूयसाहणे ।
नाणं च सणं चेव चरित्तं चेव निच्छए । M.M.-35