BHADRABAHU AND THE SRAVANABELGOLA KSETRA ROBERT J. ZYDENBOS

In this article, I want to give a short survey of the work done by a few scholars with regard to the old tradition that Jainism was brought to South India by the Srutakevalin Bhadrabahu, who is said to have died by sallekhana at Shravanabelgola. so that we can form an educated opinion about the authenticity of that account and Bhadrabahu's importance for Jainism in southern India. Digambara tradition says that it was on the hill Chandragiri at Shravanabelagoa, that Bhadrabahu, the sixth guru of the Jaina church after Tirthankara Mahavira met his death. He is accredited with having brought Jainism to South India, where it was to flourish brilliantly in the centuries that followed, by leading a following of 12000 monks from the north-east of India to southern Karnataka to avoid a fearful famine, and he played a cardinal role in the development which led finally to the schism that divided the original sangha in the two major sects, the Shwetambara-s and Digambara-s.' The Shwetambara -s hold him in very high esteem as the author of a number of ancient and holy works. For the Digambara-s, he is the link between their religious tradition and the original teachings of Mahavira. He being the last srutakev'alin and hence it is only natural that Shravanabelgola is a place of great importance to them. The historian B. A. Saletore believed the Digambara tradition, but in his important book Mediaeval Jainism he is not very clear about the "literary and epigraphic evidence" that supports it He writes that the tradition is supported by "inscriptions on the summit of Chandragiri itself and elsewhere, the writings of early Jaina writers like Harisena (A. D. 931), and mediaeval and later writers like Ratnanandi (ca. A. D. 1450). Cidanandakavi (A. D. 1680). and Devachandra (A. D 1838)'". He gives no further details, but refers to Rice's and Narasimha-charya's works about inscriptions which have been found in southern India.

 

Acknowledgement : Gommateshvara Commemoration Volume - Mastakabhisheka 1981 - Sharavanabelagola