Bhadrabāhu
Ācārya Bhadrabāhu was a Jain monk and scholar, traditionally regarded as the last Shruta Kevalin, or the final ascetic to possess complete knowledge of the Jain scriptures. According to both sects of Jainism, he was the last Shrutakevali.He is widely known as the spiritual guru of Chandragupta Maurya.
According to the Digambara tradition, he was the spiritual teacher of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire. According to the Digambara sect of Jainism, there were five Shruta Kevalins in Jainism – Govarddhana Mahamuni, Vishnu, Nandimitra, Aparajita and Bhadrabahu.
According to the Śvetāmbara tradition, he was the author of the holy Kalpa Sūtra, which describes the life of Mahavira and other Tirthankaras. It also lists down a Sthaviravali. Śvetāmbaras consider Bhadrabahusuri to be a Sthavirkalpi monk, and thus, white-clad. Śvetāmbaras also consider him to have had been a Shruta Kevalin.
Early life
Bhadrabahu was born in Pundravardhana to a Jain-Brahman family during which time the secondary capital of the Mauryas was Ujjain. When he was seven, Govarddhana Mahamuni predicted that he will be the last Shruta Kevali and took him along for his initial education. According to Śvētāmbara tradition, he lived from 433 BC to 357 BC. Digambara tradition dates him to have died in 365 BC. Natubhai Shah dated him from 322 to 243 BC.Yasobhadra, leader of the religious order reorganised by Mahavira, had two principle disciples, Sambhutavijaya and Bhadrabahu. After his death the religious order was led by Sambhutivijaya. After Sambhutivijaya's death, Bhadrabahu became the head of the monastic order.
Digambara biography and explanation of sixteen dreams of Chandragupta
The Digambara sect believes that on the night of full moon in the month of Kartik, Chandragupta Maurya saw sixteen dreams, which were then explained to him by Acharya Bhadrabahu.| Dream of Chandragupta | Explanation by Bhadrabahu |
| The sun setting | All the knowledge will be darkened |
| A branch of the Kalpavriksha break off and fall | Decline of Jainism 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 |
| Black elephants 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 |
| An ape sitting on a throne | Vile, low-born, wicked will acquire power |
| A dog 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 |
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 to South India, A 6th-7th century inscription from Shravanabelagola mentions that Chandragupta became a Digambar monk under the guidance of Bhadrabahu, who is referred to in the record as Prabhachandra.
According to the inscriptions at Shravanabelgola, Bhadrabahu died after taking the vow of sallekhana.
Digambara monks belong to the lineage of Acharya Vishakha and Śvetāmbara monks follow the tradition of Acharya Sthulabhadra. However, the theory that the schism occurred at that time has not been historically proven.
Śvetāmbara biography
According to Śvetāmbaras, Bhadrabahusuri was the author of the Kalpa Sūtra, four Cheda sutras, the niryukti collection on ten scriptures, and Uvasaggaharam Stotra. The 10 niryuktis authored by him are: -- Āvaśyaka-Niryukti
- Daśavaikālika-Niryukti
- Uttarādhyayana-Niryukti
- Āchārāṅga-Niryukti
- Sutrakritanga-Niryukti
- Daśāśrutaskandha-Niryukti
- Kalpa-Niryukti
- Vyavahāra-Niryukti
- Sūryaprajnapti-Niryukti
- Ṛṣibhāṣita-Niryukti
He is believed to have been a Sthavirkalpi monk and white-clad as Śvetāmbaras believe that the only other way for monks or the practice of being a Jinakalpi monk had become extinct after Jambuswami attained nirvana. 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.
- Vyavahāra
- 8th chapter of Daśāśrutaskandha
- Kappa
- Piṇḍaniryukti
- ''Oghaniryukti''
Legacy
Regarding the inscriptions describing the relation of Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Maurya, Radha Kumud Mookerji writes,Bhadrabahu-charitra was written by Ratnanandi of about 1450 AD.