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Varāhamihira and Bhadrabāhu
57
after the passing away of the last Jaina Tirthankara may be conveniently referred to as Bhadrabāhu I. As he lived prior to the division of the Jaina church between the Svetāmbara and Digambara sects, he was honoured by the followers of both the sects and is consequently mentioned in the literary traditions of both of them. As the later teachers of this name belonged only to one or the other of the two main sects, they are referred to in the literary works emanating only from the followers of the concerned sect. Thus, the Digambara Pattāvalis belonging to the Nandi-sangha and the Sarasvatigaccha mention two Bhadrabāhus, first of whom was the last śruta-kevalin and is said to have been the disciple of the fourth śruta-kevalin, Govardhana, and expired 162 years after Mahāvira's nirvana,25 The second Bhadrabāhu is spoken of as having flourished 492 years after the death of Mahāvīra, that is, in V. S. 22 or 35 B. C., and is described as the pupil of Yaíobhadra. His pontifficate is said to have covered twenty-three years, i.e., 35-12 B. C. The pattavali of the Nandi Āmnāya of the Sarasvati-gaccha begins with him.28 It must be pointed out in this connection that the famous Digambara author Kundakunda describes himself in his Chappahuda (Sat-prabhrta) as a pupil of Bhadrababu,27 who is generally identified with the second teacher of this name known to the Digambara tradition.28 There is, however, a serious difficulty in accepting this identification. This Bhadrabāhu is spoken of as well-versed in the twelve Angas and fourteen Purvas, 29 a description applicable only to the first Bhadrabālu. It is also noteworthy that Kundakunda refers to Bhadrabahu as gamayaguru (gamaka-guru) or traditional teacher, and not as ordinary teacher. Kundakunda had, thus, nothing to do with Bhadrabāhu II.
As shown above, a late Svetambara tradition recorded by authors of fourteenth and subsequent centuries of the Christian era mentions a certain Bhadrabäbu who is spoken of as a brother and rival of astronomer-astrologer Varahamihira 30 Although he is represented as caturdasa-purvin, his alleged contemporaneity with Varāhamihira, whose flourishing period is know from his own works, seems to point to the existence of yet another Bhadrabāhu who lived in the sixth century A.D. We may call him Bhadrabâhu III. This Bhadrabāhu is credited with the authorship of a number of works including niryuktis on ten works of the Jaina canon, an astrological treatise entitled Bhadrabahavi Samhita and a stotra consisting a five verses called Uvasagga-hara Pasa. It is pertinent to note here that a much earlier unanimous Svetāmbara tradition recorded in the niryuktis31, bhasyasa2 and the curnis33 of the Jaina canon attributes the authorship of the Cheda-sūtras 34 to the caturada sa-purva-dhara Bhadrabāhu.
A critical analysis of the above data would reveal that from fairly early times some confusion prevailed about the personages bearing the name Bhadrabāhu and the activities of one Bhadrabāhu were often attributed to another bearer of this name. Thus, while both the Digambara and Svetāmbara tradi
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