Vachanacharya Devardhigani Kshamashraman | |
|---|---|
 An idol of Acharya Shri Devardhigani Kshamashraman at Vallabhi tirth. | |
| Died | 473 AD |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Sect | Śvetāmbara |
| Initiation | by Acharya Lohityasuri |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
|---|
 |
Ethics Ethics of Jainism
|
Major sects |
Devardhi orVachanacharya Devardhigani Kshamashramana orDevavachaka was aJain ascetic of theŚvetāmbara sect and an author of severalPrakrit texts.
He was a prominent figure inJainism in the5th century AD. Mainly known for his contributions to the compilation and preservation of the canonicalJain scriptures, he is one of the most revered ascetics of theŚvetāmbara sect of Jainism.[1][2] It was under his guidance that the second council ofVallabhi was held to preserve the remaining canonical texts ofJainism.[3][4] Apart from the compilation of the canonical texts, he has been revered for his spiritual teachings as well.[5]
Devardhigani was born in theKshatriya caste of theKashyap gotra (family lineage). According to a legend,Mahavira had toldSaudharmendra (demi-god in Jainism) in a holy assembly in Rajgruhi city,
"Harinaigmeshin transferred me during my state of embryo from the womb of Devananda to the womb of Trishala and after 1000 years of mynirvana (emencipation), he would live again by the name of Devardhigani and he would be the final authority on theDrishtivaad (the title of twelfth anga)."
His mother,Kalavati, named himDevardhi after a divine vision she had during her pregnancy.
According to a legend, in his youth, he was interested in hunting. He had a life-threatening encounter with a lion which led to a spiritual awakening. Terrified and helpless, he vowed to devote himself to spiritual pursuits if saved. Following this incident, he sought guidance fromAcharya Lohityasuri and embraced monkhood in theŚvetāmbara sect ofJainism.
His most notable contributions revolve around the preservation and compilation of Jain scriptures, especially at the secondcouncil of Vallabhi held in 453 AD.
During a period of crisis caused by a 12-year long famine and gradual loss of knowledge among ascetics, he led efforts to preserve scriptural knowledge and systematically compile texts.[5] Under his leadership, the Jain community united to safeguard the integrity of their scriptures, preventing division and ensuring the continuity of Jain teachings.
At the beginning of theVallabhi Council, Devardhigani sat withshramans (Jain monks) and listened to the canonical texts and memorized them all and scripted them systematically and in an organized fashion. As a result of the first council of Vallabhi and the Mathura council, there were two different set of texts,"Skandili" and"Nagarjuniya".[6]Acharya Kalak-IV was representing the"Nagarjuniya text", whereas Devardhigani was representing the"Skandili text". Both these sets of canonical texts had variations because Acharya Skandilsuri (author ofSkandili text) and Acharya Nagarjunsuri (author ofNagarjuniya text) had never met before or during the compilation and writing. Both the texts were written simultaneously as the first council of Vallabhi and the Mathura council were held simultaneously during the same period. Variations in the two texts had almost led to an imminent division of theJain sangha itself. Devardhigani was noble enough to note the variations between both the texts. Acharya Kalak also co-operated with him. The urgency about the loss of canonical texts was recognized by him and a simultaneous writing of canonical texts was successfully accomplished under his leadership.[7]
However, the texts compiled under his guidance were completely rejected by theDigambara sect.[8] These texts were, however, accepted partially by monks and followers of theYapaniya sect.[9]
The canonical texts written and edited under his leadership at Vallabhi have been accepted as the oldest works ofJain literature, with theĀcārāṅga Sūtra being accepted as the oldest among others such asSutrakritanga Sutra and theUttaradhyayana Sutra.[10][11][12]
He also composed the scriptureNandisutra which lists aPattavali.[13]
One of the texts that mention him is thePattavali, in the second section of theKalpa Sūtra, which is both an account and a praise of all the earlyŚvetāmbara Jain acharyas. The penultimate verse pays homage to them in the first person, and the last verse celebrates Devardhigani. It is as follows-
Sutt’-attha-rayaṇa-bharie
khama-dama-maddava-guṇehi sampanne
Deviḍḍhi-khamāsamaṇe
Kāsava-gotte paṇivayāmi
-Kalpa SūtraSthavirāvalī, final verseThe above text, translated into English:-
I revere the Kṣamāśramaṇa Devarddhi of the Kāśyapa gotra, who wears, as it were, the jewel of the right understanding of the Sūtras and possesses the virtues of patience, self-restraint and clemency.
-Kalpa SūtraSthavirāvalī, final verse(Translated byHermann Jacobi in 1884)[14]Devardhigani's legacy extends beyond his scholarly achievements and is visible in theaagams (canonical texts) edited and written under his guidance. His dedication to preserving Jain scriptures and fostering unity within the community laid the groundwork for future generations of scholars and practitioners as the canonical texts form the basis of major Jain texts such as theTrishashti-Shalakapurusha-Charitra. His spiritual teachings continue to inspire Jain followers worldwide. With his death in 473 AD, the tradition of passing of scriptural knowledge orally came to an end as all canonical texts had been written.
| Gods | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | |||||
| Branches |
| ||||
| Practices | |||||
| Literature | |||||
| Symbols | |||||
| Ascetics | |||||
| Scholars | |||||
| Community |
| ||||
| Jainism in |
| ||||
| Jainism and | |||||
| Dynasties and empires | |||||
| Related | |||||
| Lists | |||||
| Navboxes | |||||
