Indrabhuti Gautama

Gautama Ganadhara

Gautama

Sculpture depicting Gautama Ganadhara (right) listening to Divya Dhwani (divine discourse) of Tīrthankara Mahāvīra
Family
Father Vasubhuti
Mother Prithvi
Kalyanaka / Important Events
Born Indrabhuti
Gochchar village, Magadha

Indrabhuti Gautama was the Ganadhara (chief disciple) of Mahavira, the 24th and last Jain Tirthankara of present half cycle of time.[1] He is also referred to as Gautam Gandhar.

Name

His birth name was Indrabhuti Gautama. He was commonly referred by his gotra, Gautama. He is often referred to as Goyama in Prakrit scriptures.

Birth

He was born in the Gochchar village in the Magadha kingdom to a Brahmin couple, Vasubhuti and Prithvi.

Digambara Tradition

According to Shatkhandagama, the digambara scripture, the Indra, pretending to be a medicant, approached Indrabhuti. The Indra asked him to explain the meaning of a verse:

पंचेव अत्थिकाया छज्जीव णिकाया महव्वया पंच|
अट्ठयपवयण-मादा सहेउओ बंध-मोक्खो य||

When he was unable to explain the verse, the Indra advised him to visit the samavasarana of Lord Mahavira so that he can learn the meaning of the verse. As he was approaching the set of Lord Mahavira at his gandhakuti, he saw the lofty manastambha (the column of pride). Seeing the manastambha, his pride vanished and he was filled with humility. He became the chief disciple of Lord Mahavira at the age of 50. The day he took diksha is celebrated as Guru Purnima. His brothers Agnibhuti and Vayubhuti, both scholars of distinction, also became Ganadharas of Lord Mahavira.

Svetambara Tradition

According to the elaboration of Debate with the Ganadhara by Jinabhadra, the learned Brahmin Gautama summoned the gods to a great sacrifice but instead they flew off to hear Mahāvīra preaching at his second samavasarana near by.[2] In fury, Gautama confronted Mahavira in debate, as did ten other brahmins in succession, with the fordmaker converting them all by a demonstration, underpinned by his claim to omniscience.[2]

Meeting with Kesi

According to Swetambera texts, Keśī is believed to have been born about 166 to 250 years after the death of Pārśva and to have met the ganadhara of Mahavira, Gautama.[3]

Moksha

Diwali marks the day when Mahavira attained moksha and Gautama Swami obtained the kevalajnana (omniscience).

Beliefs

In an episode in the Universal History, Gautama, through his magic power, feeds a group of monks with a tiny amount of food. Thus, exemplifying his connection with prosperity in Jain mind.[4]

On the first day of the Jain new year which occurs in November and coincides with Gautama's enlightenment, Svetambars business houses will write the name of Mahavira's chief disciple on the opening page of their fresh account books to ensure continuing auspiciousness.[4]

In literature

The mention of Gautama occurs frequently in the Exposition of Explainations, as an interlocutor with Mahāvīra and occasionally as a convertor of heretics.[2] It is in this text that the fordmaker tells Gautama that the two of them have been bound together in friendship through a series of rebirths and they are now living in their final existence, after which they both will be equal in the state of spiritual deliverance.[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Teerthankar mahaveer aur unki acharya parampara by Dr. Nemi chandra shastry, Sagar, 1974 vol-1-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dundas 2002, p. 37.
  3. ↑ von Glasenapp 1999, p. 35.
  4. 1 2 Dundas 2002, p. 39.

References

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