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It is immensely difficult to be the torchbearer of a great Master. Mention has already been made that Indrabhuti Gautama was initiated into the Order of Sravanas along with his two brothers and that Gautama became the first Ganadhara or the Apostle. Of the eleven ganadharas or apostles, Indrabhuti and Sudharma were the only persons to survive their Master. Mahavira was the head of an excellent community of 14000 monks; 36000 nuns, 159000 male lay-votaries and 31800 female lay-votaries.1 Indrabhuti attained liberation 12 years after his Master had attained Nirvana. Sudharma followed him eight years later. Jambusvami was the disciple of sudharman and he attained Nirvana 64 years after the Nirvana of Mahavira. Bhadrabahu and Silabhadra were contemporaries in the sixth generation after Sudharman had attained liberation. It is natural that there should be differences between the groups of followers about the tenets preached by the Tirthankara. Even during the life time of Mahavira, Makkhali Gosala and Jamali had differences with their Master and broke away from him. The former started his own sect of Ajivikas while the letter founded a sect known as Bahurata. It appears from the Buddhistic literature that there used to be quarrels amongst the monks who were followers of Mahavira. From the accounts given in the Dighanikaya, it appears that the quarrels relate to the correctness or superiority of knowledge of the tenets as propounded by Mahavira. Sometimes, there used to the serious exchanges of words; assaults were not unusual. It is very difficult to say that these quarrels gave rise to the new sects. It appears that even during the time of Parsva, there used to be some monks who wore short loin clothes but they had no differences either with their Master or with his successor. There are, however, differing accounts of the birth of new schisms. There are some legends also. The migration of Bhadrabahu along with a body of 12000 monks to the South sometime between 296 B. C, is a landmark in the history of Jainism. The first inscription of 600 A. D. at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka refers to this event and the relevant part may be quoted here: "Now indeed, after the sun Mahavira who had risen to elevate the whole world and who had shone with a thousand brilliant rays, his virtues which caused the blooming of the lotuses, the blessed people, nourished the lake of the supreme Jaina doctrine which was an abode of pre-eminent virtues had completely set, Bhadrabahu swami, of lineage rendered illustrious by a succession of great men who came in regular descent from the venerable supreme rsi Gautama-ganadhara, his immediate disciple Lohacarya, Jambu, Visnudeva, Aparajita, Govardhana, Bhadrabahu, Visakha, Prosthila, Krttikarya, Jayanama, Siddhartha, Dhrtisena, Buddhila and other teachers, who was acquainted with the true nature of the eight-fold great omen and foretold in Ujjayani a calamity lasting for a period of twelve years, the entire Sangha (or the community) set out from the North to the South and reached by degrees a country with many hundreds of villages and filled with happy people..."2 According to the tradition, Chandragupta Maurya who was Emperor abdicated his throne and accompanied the Srutakevalin. Two inscriptions (Nos. 17 & 18 on the Chandragiri Hill and two others found near Srirangapattanam mention Bhdarabahu and Chandragupta as two ascetics. That the two came together to Sravanabelagola is confirmed by a Kannada work 'Munivamsabhyudaya' by a poet called Cidanandakavi who wrote his work in 1680 A. D. The historicity of this event has been doubted by some scholars. R. Narasimhacharya has referred to Dr. Leumnn as saying that the migration to the South is "the initial fact of the Digamber tradition". Dr Hoernle after a critical examination of the Jaina Pattavalis or the lists of succession of Gurus, says: "Before Bhadrabahu, the Jain community was undivided; with him, the Digambaras separated from the Svetambaras... The Digambara separation originally took place as a result of the migration southwards under Bhadrabahu in consequence of a severe famine in Bihar, the original home of the undivided Jaina community".3 R. Narasimhacharya opines that the Jaina tradition may be accepted as a working hypothesis until the contrary is proved by future research.4 S. R. Sharma has stated that "the conclusion of the late Dr. V. A. Smith, regarding the possibility of the persistent tradition about Chandragupta Maurya having accompanied Bhadrabahu (the last of the Jaina Srutakevalin) to Mysore and died there by Sallekhana may be accepted without more ado."5 Recent researches have not brought out to light any contrary evidence. The Svetambara tradition has two versions about the division of the community: None of these two versions has any historical support. It appears to me that the divisions in the community must have been gradual and must have assumed a definite shape at some period. After the departure of Bhadrabahu Srutakevalin to the South, Sthulabhadra and his disciples remained in the North. There is little doubt that there were Digambaras in the North at the time of the invasion of India by Alexander (327-326 B. C.) as the Greek historians have referred to them as gymosophists, that is, naked Philosophers. There appear to have been some monks during the time of Parsva who wore a loin cloth. Mahavira himself adhered to the cult of nudity. Hence the practice of wearing a loin cloth did not assume any importance in his time. P. Bechardas, a Svetambara Pandit expresses the view that it was only after the Nirvana of Jambusvami that laxity in conduct must have started, departing from the rigorous rules laid down by Mahavira and that the poison tree of division seems to have started growing. The monks started using white clothes for covering part of their bodies nd possessing some wooden pots. The practice of adorning the idols of Tirthankaras with gold and diamond ornaments and silk cloth came into vogue. S. Gopalan holds the view that the division became permanent in 83 A. D.6 Hermann Jacobi opines that the sect of Ardhaphalakas developed in 80 A. D. Into the Svetambara sect and observes: "It is possible that the separation of the Jaina church took place gradually, an individual development going on in both the groups living at a great distance from one another, and that they became aware of their mutual difference about the end of the 1st century A. D. But the difference is small in their articles of faith."7 J. L. Jaini holds similar views: The division of the Jaina community into two sects of Svetambaras, "white-robed" and Digambaras, "sky-robed", i.e. naked, took place according to their concurrent testimony, 609 years after Mahavira, i.e. about 80 A. D. But in germ it existed as early as the time of the First Council.8 A. L. Basham is quite positive in his views: "Out of this migration arose the great schism of Jainism, on a point of monastic discipline. Bhadrabahu, the elder of the community, who had led the emigrants, had insisted on the retention of the rule of nudity, which Mahavira had established. Sthulabhadra, the leader of the monks who had remained in the North, allowed his followers to wear white garments, owing to the hardships and confusions of the famine. Hence arose the two sects of Jainas, the Digambaras ("space-clad" or naked), and the Svetambaras ("White-clad"). The schism did not become final until the 1st Century A. D."9 Mrs. Stevenson also says the division became final in A. D. 79 or 82.10 Though there never were any fundamental doctrinal differences between the two sects, the division continues to this day. The minor differences between the two sects are: Digambaras Even amongst the Digambaras, some groups of Sanghas seem to have developed. Mula Sangha seems to have been popular as it is mentioned in some of the inscriptions at Sravanabelagola. During the time of Indranandi, Sanghas like Vira, Aparajita Sena, Bhadra Simha, Candra etc. Seem to have come into existence in course of time. They received recognition at the time of Arhadbali. In Vikrama Samvat 753 Kumar Sena Muni established the Kastha Sangha. They started using a bunch (piccha) of hair of cattle-tail instead of feathers of peacocks. They used to initiate women as nuns and administer the oath of celebacy to them. Two hundred years later, a Sangha known as Mathurasangha came to be founded in Mathura. The monks of this Sangha dispensed with piccha altogether. One Vajrasuri seems to have started a Sangha by name Dravida-sangha. Though there was laxity in their conduct, they used to have temples repaired and receive gifts of lands etc. for the use of temples. Sub-sects amongst Digambaras 1) Terahapantha 2) Bisapantha These groups continued to live in peace and luckily there have been no quarrels between them. They accept the scriptures of Digambaras. 3) Taranapantha Sub-sects among Svetambaras Caitya-vasi (Temple Residents) Sthanakavasi There are however differences between the Sthanakavasis and the Svetambaras in the observance of religious practices. The Sthanakavasis do not build temples, do not believe in the worship of idols and do not have faith in places of pilgrimage. They tie a white piece of cloth to their mouth. Like Lomkashaha, they admit the authenticity of only 31 of the scriptures. In about the 18th century Satyavijaya Muni advised the Svetambaras to wear yellow clothes to distinguish them from the Sthanakavasis an that practice is still in vogue to this day. Non-idolatry-Terahapanthis Yapaniya Sangha Two strongholds of the Yapaniya monks have been in the Saundatti Taluka of the Belgaum District, one at Hosur and the Other at Manoli.15 This creed seems to have developed a very liberal outlook. The founders adopted a reformist attitude, though they adhered to some of the important traits common to Digambaras and Svetambaras. While their monks were naked, they moved with a bunch of peacock-feathers and took their food in their hands. They worshipped nude idols and blessed the saluting devotees; 'May true religion thrive' (Satdharma-vrddhirastu). They accepted the Svetambara belief that women can also attain salvation and that Kevalins could accept food from them. Grammarian Sakatayana also known as Palyakirti belonged to this tradition. The works composed by him were read by the followers. They accepted some of the Sacred Books based on the Svetambara traditions. The Yapaniyas seem to have been very liberal. They accepted that the followers of other doctrines including even house-holders can attain salvation. These generous persuasive practices secured warm welcome to the monks wherever they went. The same sense of accommodation and capacity for adaptability must have been responsible for the popularization of the Yaksi cult and also for the ceremonial and ritualistic innovations in the worship of gods by the Jaina priests in South India.16 The Yapaniyas and their views met with an opposition from the conservative sections of the community. Their popularity was mainly due to flexibility in religious precepts, free movement among the masses, grant of minor concessions to the creeds, introduction of Yaksa and Yaksini cult, establishment of religious institutions owing to the generous grants from the rulers and the public, and encouragement to women to enter the monastic order. It is difficult to say when the new school of thought disappeared, inspite of the popularity of its doctrines and influence of its monks and nuns on public life. It seems to have survived till the end of the 15th Century A. D. as evidence by inscriptions mentioning the death of two saints by name Dharmakirti and Nagacandra in Vikrama Samvat 1451, found at Kagwad in Belgaum District. Mention is made in some books about the tradition of Ardhaphalaka, particularly by Sri Ratnanandi Acarya in his 'Life of Bahubali'. Ratnanandi has stated that the monks of this sect used to cover their nakedness by a piece of cloth. It can therefore be inferred that this sect was in vogue just before the Svetambara sect fully developed into a division of the Jaina community. Whatever may be the number of divisions, all schools are unanimous in recognizing the Tirthankaras and the principles preached by them. The differences are superficial in that they pertain more to form than to the substance of theology, ethics and metaphysics of the Jaina religion. ---------------------------------------------
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