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8.
9.
A Study in the Origins and Development of Jainism
Akampita
Brahmana
Achalabhrātā Brāhmaṇa
Brāhmaṇa
Brāhmaṇa
10.
Metarya
11. Prabhasa
Gautam
Haritayana
Kaundinya
Kaundinya
Mithila
Kośal
Tungiya Sannivesa
Rajagriha
Though the samgha consisted of only nine ganas all these eleven chief disciples were called ganadharas because they had instructed Śramanas in great number. The Kalpa Sutra' mentions exact number of Śramaņas instructed by each one of them, but we can not be sure on this point. Except Indrabhūti and Sudharman, rest nine gaṇadharas died in the very life time of Mahavira. Indrabhūti is said to have died twelve years after the nirvāņa of Mahāvīra at the age of 92. Though he was favourite of Mahāvīra and survived him, it was Sudharman who became head of the Jain Samgha after Mahāvīra2. Sudharman died twenty years after the demise of Mahāvīra. The Kalpa Sūtra states that all the nirgrantha Śramaras of the present time are descendants of Sudharman and rest of the Gaṇadharas left no descendants.3
Jain Samgha after Mahāvīra :
The sources which contain informations about the successors of Mahāvīra in the pontificate of the Samgha are Kalpa Sutra Theravali (Sthaviravali), Nandi Sūtra and Avasyaka Sutra. The list of the pontiffs given in the Nandi and Avasyaka Sūtras is quite in agreement with the list given in the Kalpa Sutra upto Mahagiri and Suhastin who belonged to the eighth generation after Mahāvīra. After it the succession list of the pontificates gets divided into two branches, one starting from Mahāgiri and the other starting from Suhastin. The list of patriarchs given in the Nandi and Avasyaka Sutras is quite distinct from the one given in the Kalpa Sutra. The list of the Kalpa Sutra begins from Suhastin and this was the most prominent line of succession as almost all the legends found in the Parisi sta parvan of Hema Chandra and other later Jain texts
