Sramana 2016 04

Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey, Rahulkumar Singh, Omprakash Singh
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 57

50 : 9401, af 67, 3ich 2, 31UT-1514, 2016 ruled from 317 B.C. to 297 B.C. (Majumdar: 1952: p. 168; Tripathi; 1968 p, 139). Therefore, the same should be the period of Bhadrabāhu and Sthūlibhadra also. It is an undisputed fact that Candragupta had wrested power from the Nandas and that Sthūlibhadra was the son of Sakļāla, the minister of the last Nanda. Therefore, Sthūlibhadra must be the younger contemporary and Bhadrabāhu the older contemporary of Candragupta. This statement that Candragupta Maurya was initiated into Jaina religion, may or may not be accepted as authentic, still on the basis of the Jaina legends one must accept that both Bhadrabāhu and Sthūlibhadra were contemporary of Candragupta. The main reason behind Sthūlibhadra's renunciation could be Mahāpadma Nanda's (the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty) misbehaviour with his father and ultimately his merciless assassination.14 Moreover, Sthūlibhadra was initiated by Sambhūtivijaya and not by Bhadrabāhu. At the time of first assembly on composition of Agama held at Pāțalīputra, instead of Bhadrabāhu or Sthūlibhadra, Sambhūtivijaya was the head, because only in that particular assembly it was decided that Bhadrabāhu will make Sthūlibhadra to study the Pūrva-texts. Therefore, it seems that the first assembly was held any time during the last phase of the Nanda rule. The period of the first assembly can be accepted as before 155 years of the Vīra Nirvāņa era. If we accept that both the traditional notions are correct and that Ācārya Bhadrabāhu remained Ācārya from Vira Nirvāṇa Saṁvat 157 to 170 and that Candragupta Maurya was enthroned in 215 V.N., then the contemporaneity of the two is not proved. It concludes that Bhadrabāhu had already died 45 years before Candragupta Maurya's accession. On this basis Sthūlibhadra does not even remain the junior contemporary of Candragupta Maurya. Therefore we have to accept that Candragupta Maurya was on throne 155 years after Vira Nirvāņa. This date has been accepted by Himvanta Sthavirāvali 15 and Parisista Parva 16 of Ācārya Hemacandra also. On this basis only the contemporaneity of Bhadrabāhu and Sthūlibhadra with Candragupta Maurya can also be proved. Almost all the Pattāvalis accept the period of Bhadrabāhu as an Ācārya, to be 156-170 V.S." In Digambara tradition also the