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Introduction.
This,--Volume Fifth Part I of the śramaņa Bhagavan Mahāvīra Series-contains a fulaciat sthavirāvali-A serial description-of Fafar Sthaviras-of life-incidents of highly learned and greatly respected venerable ascetics.
The sthaviras are of three kinds víz gereifar Vaya sthavira Ascetics aged sixty years and more, are vaya sthaviras 2. Harrerats Prayrajyā sthaviras-Ascetics whose consecration is of twenty years duration and more, are pravrajyā sthaviras, and 3. patefat śruta sthaviras-Ascetics possessing a complete knowledge of Sport Thāṇānga, yaani Samavāyānga and other sūtras of the platit dvādaśāngi-the Sacred Scriptures of the Jainas-are śruta sthaviras,
The Sthavirāval of the Jainas, contains a description of the life-incidents of the Canadhars of Tīrihankaras (the chief disciples of Tirthankaras ), of the Pastadlaras (Pontiffs who have succeded them), and of the Yugā-pradhāns who have flourished at different periods of time.
The present work i e. the First Part of the Fifth Volume of the Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira Series, contains an account of the (a) 11 (Eleven) Ganadhars (chief disciples ) of śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira, b) accounts of life-incidents of 30 (thirty ) Pattadharas (eminent personages ) who have succeded Ganadhara Mahārāja Sudharmã Swāmi as Heads of the Jaina Church in regular order, and (c) accounts of the 15 (fifteen) Yuga-pradhāns (highly learned and greatly respected, venerable sages of the age) wlio had done valuable service to the Jaina Religion.
During the present Duhşama Kāla or the Fifth Ar of the Avasarpiņi era, there will be 2004 (two thousand and four) Yuga-pradhāns, Out of 21000 years of the Pancama Kāla, more than 2470 years have already passed. Tables giving some
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