Acharya Bhadrabāhu Swami/Suri | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sculpture of Chandragupta Maurya (left) andBhadrabahu (right) atChandragupta Basadi | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 367 BCE |
| Died | c. 298 BCE |
| Notable work(s) | Uvasagharam Stotra,Kalpa Sutra |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Sect | Digambara andŚvetāmbara |
| Initiation | by Govarddhana Mahamuni (Digambara) by Acharya Yashobhadrasuri (Śvetāmbara) |
| Religious career | |
| Successor | Acharya Vishakha (Digambara) Acharya Sthulabhadrasuri (Śvetāmbara) |
| Ascetics initiated | Chandragupta Maurya (Digambara) Sthavir Godas, Sthavir Agnidatt, Sthavir Yagnadatt, Sthavir Somdatt (Śvetāmbara) |
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Ācārya Bhadrabāhu (c. 367 – c. 298 BC) was aJain monk and scholar, traditionally regarded as the lastShruta Kevalin, or the final ascetic to possess complete knowledge of the Jain scriptures. According to both sects ofJainism, he was the last Shrutakevali.[1][2][3]He is widely known as the spiritual guru ofChandragupta Maurya.[4]
According to theDigambara tradition, he was the spiritual teacher ofChandragupta Maurya, the founder of theMaurya Empire.[4] According to theDigambara sect of Jainism, there were fiveShruta Kevalins in Jainism – Govarddhana Mahamuni, Vishnu, Nandimitra, Aparajita and Bhadrabahu.[5]
According to theŚvetāmbara tradition, he was the author of the holyKalpa Sūtra,[6] which describes the life ofMahavira and otherTirthankaras. It also lists down aSthaviravali (a succession list of the names of the head of the Jain monastic order according to Śvetāmbaras, starting with Mahavira'sGanadhara (disciple)Sudharmaswami).[7] Śvetāmbaras consider Bhadrabahusuri to be aSthavirkalpi monk (as described in theĀcārāṅga Sūtra, the Kalpa Sūtra, and theSthananga Sutra), and thus, white-clad. Śvetāmbaras also consider him to have had been aShruta Kevalin.
Bhadrabahu was born inPundravardhana (roughly equivalent to modernNorth Bengal[8]) to aJain-Brahman family (In Jain philosophy, a pratimādhārī shravaka—a layperson with vows—is considered a Brahman or Bamana)[9] during which time the secondary capital of theMauryas wasUjjain. When he was seven, Govarddhana Mahamuni predicted that he will be the lastShruta Kevali and took him along for his initial education.[5] According toŚvētāmbara tradition, he lived from 433 BC to 357 BC.[10]Digambara tradition dates him to have died in 365 BC.[11] Natubhai Shah dated him from 322 to 243 BC.[12]
Yasobhadra (351-235 BC), leader of the religious order reorganised byMahavira, had two principle disciples, Sambhutavijaya (347-257 BC) and Bhadrabahu.[12] After his death the religious order was led by Sambhutivijaya. After Sambhutivijaya's death, Bhadrabahu became the head of the monastic order.[12]
TheDigambara sect believes that on the night of full moon in the month ofKartik,Chandragupta Maurya (founder and ruler ofMaurya Empire) saw sixteen dreams, which were then explained to him byAcharya Bhadrabahu.[13]
| Dream of Chandragupta | Explanation by Bhadrabahu |
|---|---|
| The sun setting | All the knowledge will be darkened |
| A branch of theKalpavriksha break off and fall | Decline ofJainism and Chandragupta's successors won't be initiated |
| A divine car descending in the sky and returning | The heavenly beings will not visit Bharata Kshetra |
| The disk of the moon sundered | Jainism will be split into two sects |
| Blackelephants fighting | Lesser rains and poorer crops |
| Fireflies shining in the twilight | True knowledge will be lost, few sparks will glimmer with feeble light |
| A dried up lake | Aryakhanda will be destitute of Jain doctrines and falsehood will increase |
| Smoke filling all the air | Evil will start to prevail and goodness will be hidden |
| Anape sitting on a throne | Vile, low-born, wicked will acquire power |
| Adog eating the payasa out of a golden bowl | Kings, not content with a sixth share, will introduce land-rent and oppress their subjects by increasing it |
| Young bulls labouring | Young will form religious purposes, but forsake them when old |
| Kshatriya boys riding donkeys | Kings of high descent will associate with the base |
| Monkeys scaring away swans | The low will torment the noble and try to reduce them to same level |
| Calves jumping over the sea | King will assist in oppressing the people by levying unlawful taxes |
| Foxes pursuing old oxen | The low, with hollow compliments, will get rid of the noble, the good and the wise |
| A twelve-headed serpent approaching | Twelve year of death and famine will come upon this land[14] |
Bhadrabahu was in Nepal for a 12-year penitential vow when the Pataliputra conference took place in 300 BC to put together the Jain canon anew. Bhadrabahu decided the famine would make it harder for monks to survive and migrated with a group of twelve thousand disciples toSouth India,[15][16] A 6th-7th century inscription from Shravanabelagola mentions thatChandragupta became aDigambar monk under the guidance of Bhadrabahu, who is referred to in the record asPrabhachandra.[17][14]
According to the inscriptions atShravanabelgola, Bhadrabahu died after taking the vow ofsallekhana (Fast until death).[18]
Digambara monks belong to the lineage ofAcharya Vishakha andŚvetāmbara monks follow the tradition ofAcharyaSthulabhadra.[19] However, the theory that the schism occurred at that time has not been historically proven.
According toŚvetāmbaras, Bhadrabahusuri was the author of theKalpa Sūtra,[20] four Cheda sutras, theniryukti collection on ten scriptures,[21] andUvasaggaharam Stotra.[22][9] The 10niryuktis authored by him are: -
Śvetāmbaras believe Bhadrabahu's principle disciples were Sthavir Godas, Sthavir Agnidatt, Sthavir Yagnadatt, and Sthavir Somdatt. However, in thePattavali ofKalpa Sūtra, he is said to have been succeeded byAcharya Sthulabhadrasuri.
He is believed to have been aSthavirkalpi monk and white-clad asŚvetāmbaras believe that the only other way for monks (known asJinakalpa) or the practice of being aJinakalpi monk had become extinct afterJambuswami attainednirvana.[23][24] Therefore,Śvetāmbaras hold that he was Sthavirkalpi and thus, white-clad.
Śvetāmbaras believe that Bhadrabāhu is the author of the following texts within the official Śvetāmbaras scriptural canon (typically consisting of 45 texts).[25]
Regarding the inscriptions describing the relation of Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Maurya,Radha Kumud Mookerji writes,
The oldest inscription of about 600 AD associated "the pair (yugma), Bhadrabahu along with ChandraguptaMuni." Two inscriptions of about 900 AD on theKaveri nearSeringapatam describe the summit of a hill calledChandragiri as marked by the footprints of Bhadrabahu and Chandraguptamunipati. AShravanabelagola inscription of 1129 mentions Bhadrabahu "Shrutakevali", and Chandragupta who acquired such merit that he was worshipped by the forest deities. Another inscription of 1163 similarly couples and describes them. A third inscription of the year 1432 speaks ofYatindra Bhadrabahu, and his disciple Chandragupta, the fame of whose penance spread into other words.[17]
Bhadrabahu-charitra was written by Ratnanandi of about 1450 AD.[17]
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