ÃÂcÃÂrya BhadrabÃÂhu (c. 367 â c. 298 BC) 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 â Govarddhana Mahamuni, Vishnu, Nandimitra, Aparajita and Bhadrabahu.
According to the à ÂvetÃÂmbara tradition, he was the author of the holy Kalpa Sà «tra, which describes the life of Mahavira and other Tirthankaras. It also lists down a Sthaviravali (a succession list of the names of the head of the Jain monastic order according to à ÂvetÃÂmbaras, starting with Mahavira's Ganadhara (disciple) Sudharmaswami). à ÂvetÃÂmbaras consider Bhadrabahusuri to be a Sthavirkalpi monk (as described in the ÃÂcÃÂrÃÂá¹ ga Sà «tra, the Kalpa Sà «tra, and the Sthananga Sutra), and thus, white-clad. à ÂvetÃÂmbaras also consider him to have had been a Shruta Kevalin.
Bhadrabahu was born in Pundravardhana (roughly equivalent to modern North Bengal) to a Jain-Brahman family (In Jain philosophy, a pratimÃÂdhÃÂrë shravakaâÂÂa layperson with vowsâÂÂis considered a Brahman or Bamana) 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 à ÂvÃÂtÃÂmbara 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 (351-235 BC), leader of the religious order reorganised by Mahavira, had two principle disciples, Sambhutavijaya (347-257 BC) and Bhadrabahu. After his death the religious order was led by Sambhutivijaya. After Sambhutivijaya's death, Bhadrabahu became the head of the monastic order.
The Digambara sect believes that on the night of full moon in the month of Kartik, Chandragupta Maurya (founder and ruler of Maurya Empire) saw sixteen dreams, which were then explained to him by Acharya Bhadrabahu.
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 (Fast until death).
Digambara monks belong to the lineage of Acharya Vishakha and à ÂvetÃÂmbara monks follow the tradition of Acharya Sthulabhadra. However, the theory that the schism occurred at that time has not been historically proven.
According to à ÂvetÃÂmbaras, Bhadrabahusuri was the author of the Kalpa Sà «tra, four Cheda sutras, the niryukti collection on ten scriptures, and Uvasaggaharam Stotra. The 10 niryuktis authored by him are: -
à ÂvetÃÂmbaras believe Bhadrabahu's principle disciples were Sthavir Godas, Sthavir Agnidatt, Sthavir Yagnadatt, and Sthavir Somdatt. However, in the Pattavali of Kalpa Sà «tra, he is said to have been succeeded by Acharya Sthulabhadrasuri.
He is believed to have been a Sthavirkalpi monk and white-clad as à ÂvetÃÂmbaras believe that the only other way for monks (known as Jinakalpa) or the practice of being a Jinakalpi monk had become extinct after Jambuswami attained nirvana. Therefore, à ÂvetÃÂmbaras hold that he was Sthavirkalpi and thus, white-clad.
à ÂvetÃÂmbaras believe that BhadrabÃÂhu is the author of the following texts within the official à ÂvetÃÂmbaras scriptural canon (typically consisting of 45 texts).
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.