Sthulabhadra
Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Sthūlabhadra was a Jaina monk of the Maurya period (c. late fourth to third century BCE). Tradition says that when Bhadrabāhu led monks south during a long famine, Sthūlabhadra stayed in Magadha. He presided over the first Jaina council at Pāṭaliputra, where the twelve Aṅgas were compiled. The monks who stayed with him came to be linked with the Śhvetāmbaras, the "white-clad" Jainas. The monks who went south came to be linked with the Digambaras, the "sky-clad" Jainas, whose monks wear no clothes.
Example
After the famine, the monks who returned from the south did not fully accept the texts compiled under Sthūlabhadra at Pāṭaliputra. They also disagreed about whether monks should wear clothes. Over time, these differences grew into the Śhvetāmbara–Digambara split.
Don't confuse with
- Bhadrabāhu: he led the migration south to Karnataka and, by tradition, died at Śhravaṇabeḷagoḷa. Sthūlabhadra stayed in Magadha.
- Devarddhi Kṣhamāśhramaṇa: he presided over the second council at Vallabhī in the fifth century CE, where the canon was written down.
Related concepts
- Jainism
- Tirthankara
- Rishabhanatha
- Parshvanatha
- Mahavira
- Kevala jnana
- Ahimsa
- Karma
- Five vows of Jainism
- Aparigraha