Acharya Bhadrabahu

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Acharya Bhadrabahu (433 B.C. - 357 B.C. ?) was a Jain monk. He is more famously known as a spiritual teacher of Chandragupta Maurya and author of several texts related to Jainism, including some of most important works, Upsargar Stotra and Kalpasutra.

His brother Varahmihira was a known vedic scholar of his times. He was a learned scholar of the 11 Angas.

Bhadrabahu is considered to be last expert of 14 Purvas, of 12th Anga called as Dristivaad, one of the scriptures of Jainism. Of these, 10 Purvas were passed on to Sthulibhadra, his chief disciple. Bhadrabahu went to Nepal for twelve years for doing the "Mahaprana Sadhana" a tantric exercise.

According to the Digambaras, he died after committing Sallekhana.

Acharya Bhadrabahu had a brother named Varahmihir. Both were in same kingdom. When a son was born to the king, Varahmihira declared that he would live for a hundred years but Bhadrabahu declared that he would live for only seven days, and that he would be killed by a cat. On the eighth day the prince died because of a door's anklet falling on his head which had a picture of cat drawn on it. Due to this humiliation Varahmihira left the kingdom and died after some time.

According to the story Varahmihira became evil and tortured and terrorized the Jains, especially disciples and followers of Bhadrabahu. Acharya Bhadrabahu then formed a mantric prayer to 23rd Jain Tirthankara Parshvanath called "the upsarghar stotra" (now known as 'Uvassagaharam Stotra') and called upon Dharnendra, the divine follower (a "devta") of Parshvanath. As an effect of it, Varahmihira was defeated and Jain society was relieved. That mantric prayer is still famous among the Jains and they chant it with due respect and faith. And that prayer had made Bhadrabahu's name immortal among Jain ascetics.