Let’s Understand Jain Terminology

November, 2021 by Jain Lexicon
Gandharvād is a philosophical work in which there are profound discussions of eleven salient doctrines – compilation of answers given by Bhagwān Mahāvīra to the 11 scholars who later became his disciples.
When Indrabhuti Gautam and 10 other Brahmin scholars arrived in the Samavasaran to test the knowledge of Bhagwān Mahāvīra, they each had a question. These questions were of long standing in their minds, but they never verbalized them in front of anyone for the fear of becoming known as incomplete.
The names of the eleven Ganadhars and the questions they had were:
  1. Indrabhuti: Doubt about existence of the soul
  2. Agnibhuti: Doubt regarding Karma
  3. Vayubhuti: Doubt Whether body is Jiva or different from Jiva
  4. Vyakta: Whether 5 material elements are real or unreal
  5. Sudharmā: Whether Jiva will be of the same kind or different in the next birth
  6. Mandit: Doubt regarding bondage of Karma
  7. Mauryaputta: Doubt about existence of heaven
  8. Akampit: Whether hell is real
  9. Achalbhrata: Doubt regarding the existence of Punya and Pāp
  10. Metarya: Dout abot the existence of the other world
  11. Prabhas: Doubt regarding existence of Moksa

Mahāvīra respectfully welcomed them by their names answered their questions without being asked.
He answered them without insulting their Vedic beliefs. He told them that they had misinterpreted what was taught to them in Veda and went on to give the correct interpretation and satisfied their quest. The eleven scholars became Mahāvīra’s chief disciples and became known as Ganadhars.

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JAINLEXICON

Jain Lexicon

Courtesy: www.jainlexicon.com

Academic Advisor: Dr. Jitendra B.Shah, Ahmedabad

General Editor: Dilip V. Shah, Philadelphia

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