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Prof. H. R. Kāpadiā* writes:
"It was in the time of Bhadra-bāhu Swāmin that Magaḍha had to face the calamity resulting from a twelve-years famine. This seriously affected the study of the Jaina Saints who could hardly get sufficient alms even by begging from door to door. This resulted in their forgetting Ditthivaya-a fact those saints, became conversant with, when they assembled after subhiksā had set in, and durbhiksā had disappeared. Thereupon, they sent a pair of Munis technically known as Sanghataka to Bhadra-bāhu Swamin who was practising Mahāprāṇa, Dhyana in Nepal; for he was the only one who was then in a position to remember and teach Ditthivaya. He, however, declined to teach Ditthivaya on the ground that he was then engaged in practising Mahā-prāņa-a dhyāna, he could not attend to during the twelve-year famine The two Munis, on their return, informed the Sangha accordingly. It thereupon, sent another pair of Munis asking them to put a question to Bhadra-bāhu Swāmin as to the penalty prescribed for disobeying the order of the Jaina Sangha and to prescribe this very penalty to him for the same offence committed by him. The two Munis reached Nepal, and asked the desired question to Bhadra-bahu svamin. He answered:-"One who does not obey the order of the Jaina Church deserves to be excommunicated. Thereupon, the two Munis said that the Jaina Sangha assembled in Magadha had prescribed this very penalty to him inasmuch as he had refused to teach Ditthivāya. Bhadrā-bāhu swāmin quickly realized the situation and conditionally agreed to teach Ditthivaya.§ The underlying
* Prof. H R Kâpadiâ-canonical Literature of the Jainas chap. IV. p. 71–73. तम्मि य काले बारसवरिसो दुक्कालो उवट्टितो । संजाता इतो इतो य समुद्दतीरे अच्छित्ता पुनरवि " पाडलिपुत्ते " मिलिता । तेसिं अण्णस्स उद्देसओ, अण्णस्स खंड gå danseàfé gæra simfor defaaifor fafgarà afu | " नेपाल " वत्तणीए य भद्दचाहुसामी अच्छंति चौदसपुच्ची, तेसिं संघेणं पत्थवितो संघाडजो " दिट्टिवाद वाहि त्ति । गतो, निवेदितं संधकज्जं तं, ते भण्णंति-दुक्कालनिमित्तं " महापाणं " न पविट्ठा
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