Uvasagdasao

Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 7

the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, & severe famine lasting for about twelve years devastated the country of Magadha. Bhadrabābu, the head of the Jain community, emigrated, under pressure of famine, into south,
leaving the headship of the community in Magadba . to Sthūlabhadra. During the absence of Bhadrabāhu the Jain monks met in council at Pătaliputra, collected the Jain canon consisting of eleven angas with Ditthivāya, Sk. Drşțivāda, as the twelfth. When on restoration of peace and plenty Bhadrabābu returned to Magadha, he found *& change in the manner and customs of Jains: the original vow of nakedness was substituted by the wearing of white garments: at least for the weaker members of the community. The followers of Bhadrabābu considered the conduct of their co-religionists in Magadhe as irreligious and refused to acknowledge the canori as ixed at Pătaliputra as genuine, as according to them the canon of angas and Pūrvas was lost. The followers of Bhadrabāhu, who strictly observed the vow of nakedness. were, some centuries later, called the Digambaras, skyclad or naked, and the followers of Sthūlabhadra were called the Svetāmbaras. The final division of the Community into these two sects dates from 79 or 82 A. D.
The Sacred canon of the Svetāmbaras established at Pātaliputra fell, in course of time, into disorder and was on the point of becoming extinct, owing to the scarcity of manuscripts. The council of monks again met, in the year 454 or 467 A. D under the