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SOME JAINA CANONICAL SOTRAS
The venerable ascetic Pārýva had eight ganas and eight ganadharas (Subha and Aryaghoşa, Vasiştha and Brahinacārin, Saumya and Sridhara, Virabhadra and Yasas). He had an excellent community of 16,000 śramanas with Aryadatta at their head; 38,000 nuns with Puşpacūlā at their head; 164,000 lay votaries with Suvrata at their head; 327,000 female lay votaries with Sunandā at their head, 350 sages who knew the 14 Pūrvas; 1,400 sages who were possessed of the Avadhi knowledge; 1,000 Kevalins; 1,100 sages who could transform themselves; 600 sages of correct knowledge; 1,000 male and 2,000 female disciples who had reached perfection; 750 sa of vast intellect; 600 professors; and 1,200 sages in their last birth. He instituted two epochs in his capacity of a Maker of an end, the epoch relating to generations, and the epoch relating to psychical condition; the foriner onded in the fourth generation, the latter in the third year of his Kevalaship. He lived 30 vears as a householder, S3 days in a state inferio to perfection, something less than 70 years as a Kevalin, full seventy years as it sraumaņa and some hundred years on the whole. He attained to Nirvāṇa in tne first month of the rainy season, after fasting a month on the summit of mount Sammeta, in the company of 83 persons.
Pārsva was worshipped by the people as a prophet of the Law. He had it lisciple name Kesi who completely mastered the sciences and right conduct. He had Sruta (knowledge derived from the sacred books) and Avadhi knowledge (limited and conditioned knowledge). He came to the town of Srāvasts and lived in a park called Tinduka. At that time there lived a Jina named Vardhamāna wh a famous disciple nameri Gautama. Gautama knew twelve angas and was enlightened. He also came to Srävasti and lived in a park named Kosthaka. Kesi and Gautama lived protecting themselves by the gup'is. The disciples of both of them reflected thus: 'Is the Law of Pārýva the right one or the Law of Mahāvīra ? Does the Law as taught by the great sage Pāráva recognize four vows? Does the Law forbid clothes for a monk or does it allow the use of under and upper garments ? Knowing the thoughts of their pupils, Keśī and Gautama met each other. Asked by Kesi, Gautama replied, “Wisdom recognizes the truth of the Law and the ascertainment of true things. The Tirthankaras have fixed
1 The Digambara books namo ton ganas and an equal number of the ganadharas, arnong whom Svayambhu was the chief apostle. They also differ in giving the number of nuns, laymen and fernale lay votaries, which, according to them, is 26,000, one lakh and three lakhs respectively.
2 The Digambaras minimize this number to 36 only.
