
There are several
Jain councils mentioned in Jain texts associated with revision and redaction of
Jain Agamas
Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical ''Jain Agamas'', which are wri ...
(sacred texts). The first council was held at
Pataliputra
Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, Bihar, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort () near the Ganges river.. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliput ...
. The second councils were probably held simultaneously at Mathura and
Vallabhi
Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, near Bhavnagar in western India. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the Kingdom of Valabhi, an early medieval state rule ...
. The third council was held at Vallabhi under auspices of
Devarddhigani ''Kshamashramana'' when the texts were written down. The definite dates of councils are not mentioned in the texts before Jinaprabhamuni's ''Sandehavisausadhi'' of 1307 CE. The later texts states that the last Vallabhi council was held 980 or 993 years after the death (''
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
'') of last
Tirthankara
In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...
Mahavira
Mahavira (Devanagari: महावीर, ), also known as Vardhamana (Devanagari: वर्धमान, ), was the 24th ''Tirthankara'' (Supreme Preacher and Ford Maker) of Jainism. Although the dates and most historical details of his lif ...
(After Vardhamana = AV).
Councils
Pataliputra Council
The first council was held at
Pataliputra
Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, Bihar, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort () near the Ganges river.. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliput ...
(now
Patna
Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...
, Bihar, India) in 300 BC, under the patronage of
Mauryan king Chandragupta. The ''Avashyaka-churni'' (dated between Samvat 650 and 750=593–693 CE) describes: There was twelve years long famine which resulted in the monks moving to the coast. When the famine ended, they gathered at Pataliputra. They gathered the sacred knowledge and put together the eleven ''Anga''s but could not gather the ''Ditthivada'' (''
Drstivada
The Dṛṣṭivāda or Drishtivaad ("Disputation about views") is a lost text in the Jain religion. It is the last of the 12 Jain āgamas as per Śvetámbara tradition, said to be promulgated by Māhavīra himself and composed by Ganadhar ...
'').
Bhadrabahu who knew the fourteen
Purva
The Fourteen Purvas (meaning ancient or prior knowledge) are a large body of Jain scriptures that was preached by all Tirthankaras (omniscient teachers) of Jainism encompassing the entire gamut of knowledge available in this universe. The persons ...
s was then in
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. The ''sangha'' sent emissaries to him and informed to come and teach Dittivada. He refused to come citing that he had undertaken a practise ''Mahaprana''. The emissaries returned and informed the ''sangha''. The ''sangha'' sent emissaries again and asked, "What is the punishment for someone who disobeys an order of the ''sangha''?" He replied "That one is to be expelled." He added, " Do not expel me, send intelligent
tudents I will teach them."
[
]Hemchandra
Hemacandra was a 12th century () Śvetāmbara Jaina ācārya, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, grammarian, law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contempora ...
's ''Parishishtaparvan'', probably based on ''Avashyaka-churni''; also known as ''Sthaviravali The Parishishtaparvan () also known as the Sthaviravalicharitra () is a 12th-century Sanskrit mahakavya by Hemachandra which details the histories of the earliest Jain teachers. The poem comprises 3,460 verse couplets divided into 13 cantos of uneq ...
'' (stories on the lives of elders or Jain patriarchs), contains detailed information about the council and how the knowledge of the Purvas was lost.[
]
Mathura Council and Vallabhi Council I
The second councils were held simultaneously at Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
(now in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
, India) under auspices of Skandila and at Vallabhi
Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, near Bhavnagar in western India. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the Kingdom of Valabhi, an early medieval state rule ...
(now in Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
, India) under auspices of Nagarjuna to continue the transmission of sacred knowledge after famines.[
]
Vallabhi Council II
The Vallabhi Council was convened by Śvetāmbara
The Śvetāmbara (; also spelled Shwetambara, Shvetambara, Svetambara or Swetambara) is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. ''Śvetāmbara'' in Sanskrit means "white-clad", and refers to its ascetics' practi ...
Jain monk
Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the '' Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the ...
s at Vallabhi
Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, near Bhavnagar in western India. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the Kingdom of Valabhi, an early medieval state rule ...
(now in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
, India) to reduce down to writing sacred texts (Jain Agama) that had so far been transmitted orally. The council was presided by Devarddhigani ''Kshamashramana''. Vallabhi was then under the Maitraka
The Maitraka dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Valabhi in western India from approximately 475 to 776 from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who is associated with sun-worship, the ...
rule.
Dates of councils
No dates are cited for Pataliputra council in ''Avashyaka-churni''. Hemchandra's ''Parishishtaparvan'' (dated Vikram Samvat
Vikram Samvat (ISO: ''Vikrama Saṁvata''; abbreviated VS), also known as the Vikrami calendar is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still also used in several Indian states and Nepal. It is a lunisolar calendar ...
1216–1229) states the Pataliputra council was held in 160 AD.[
''Nandisutra'' by Devavachaka mentions Skandila and Nagarjuna in ''Sthaviravali'' (list of elders) who had organised the sacred texts. It is demonstrated by ]Jambuvijaya
Jambuvijaya (1923–2009), also known as Muni Jambuvijayji Maharajsaheb, was a monk belonging to the Tapa Gaccha order of Śvetāmbara sect of Jainism. He was known for his pioneering work in research, cataloguing and translations of ''Jain Aga ...
that the text was known to Mallavadin in the fifth century. So the earlier version of it must be older than that. ''Nandisutra-churni'' which comments on it is dated 676 CE. So it is established that Skandila and Nagarjuna existed before 676 CE.[
The following sources mentions them in the list of elders but continues the older accounts:][
# Jinadasagani, ''Nandisutra-curni'' (676 CE) (plus the ''Ayara-'' and ''Dasasrutaskandha-curni''s).
# ]Haribhadra
Acharya Haribhadra Suri was a Śvetāmbara mendicant Jain leader, philosopher , doxographer, and author. There are multiple contradictory dates assigned to his birth. According to tradition, he lived c. 459–529 CE. However, in 1919, a Jain ...
(700–770 CE) ''Laghuvrtti'' on ''Nandisutra''.
# Silakka (9th century CE) ''Ayarattka''.
# Santyacarya Vadivetala (d. Samvat 1096 039), ''Sisyahita'' on '' Uttaradhyayana
Uttaradhyayana or Uttaradhyayana Sutra is one of the most important sacred books of Jains. It consists of 36 chapters, each of which deals with aspects of Jain doctrine and discipline. It is believed by some to contain the actual words of Bha ...
''.
# Hemachandra
Hemacandra was a 12th century () Śvetāmbara Jaina acharya, ācārya, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, wikt:grammarian, grammarian, Law, law theorist, historian, Lexicography, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and Prosody ...
(1088–1172 CE), ''Yogashastra'' commentary.
# Malayagiri (c. 1093–1193 CE) ''tika'' on the ''Prakirnaka'' entitled ''Joisakarandaga''.
The ''Kalpasutra'' (''Kalpasutra'', ''Jinacaritra'', section 148) mentions redaction dates of 980 AV or 993 AV but does not mentions places or persons.[ Bhadresvara's (c. 1150–1200 CE) ''Kahavali'' is not considered as reliable source for date though it contains tales mentioned in earlier literature. Jinaprabhamuni's (1307 CE) ''Sandehavisausadhi'', commentary on ''Kalpasutra'', was the first indication of associating 980 AV with Vallabhi Council but also cite other possibilities.][
The 980 AV or 993 AV dates are associated with these events in ''Sandehavisausadhi'':][
# The Vallabhi council under the presidency of Devarddhigani where redaction carried out.
# The council of Mathura under the presidency of Skandila who seems to have revised the sacred knowledge.
# The public reading of the ''Kalpasutra'' before king ]Dhruvasena
The Maitraka dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Valabhi in western India from approximately 475 to 776 from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who is associated with Solar deity, sun-w ...
to relieve him from grief of death of his son.
# The change of last day of Paryusana
Paryushana is an annual holy event in Jainism and is usually celebrated in August, September or October in the Hindi calendar month of Bhadrapad's Shukla Paksha. Jains increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting and praye ...
by Kalakacharya from the fifth to the fourth day of Bhadrapada
Bhadra or Bhadrapada or Bhādo or Bhadraba
( Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada''; ''Bhādra''; ''Bhādravo''; ''Bhadraba''; ''Bhadô'') is the sixth month ...
month.
The following late sources associates 980 or 993 AV with Vallabhi council:[
# Vinayavijaya (1559 CE) ''Subodhika'', commentary on ''Kalpasutra''.
# Dharmasagara (1571 CE), ''Kiranavali'' or ''Vyakhanapaddhati'' commentary on ''Kalpasutra''.
# Samayasundara (c. 1630 CE), ''Samacarishataka''.
# Samayasundara (1642 CE), ''Kalpalata'', commentary on ''Kalpasutra''.
# Laksmivallabha ( 1835 CE) ''Kalpadruma'', commentary on ''Kalpasutra''.
]
See also
* Jain schools and branches
Jainism is an Indian religion which is traditionally believed to be propagated by twenty-four spiritual teachers known as ''tirthankara''. Broadly, Jainism is divided into two major schools of thought, Digambara and Śvetāmbara. These are fur ...
References
{{Authority control
History of Jainism