Tirtha of Mahavira constituting Monk, Nun, Shravaka and Shravika

 

Tirtha of Mahavira constituting monk, nun, shravaka and shravika

During Mahavira’s lifetime, large number of people, both men and women, became his followers. From these grew the four orders of his community. Tirtha is a complete order of monks, nuns, male follower (shravakas) and female followers (shravikas). A tirthankara is one who organises the order (tirtha) according to his convenience. The 1st Tirthankara Rishavdev formed the four orders of tirtha for the first time.

Mahavira was the head of a very illustrious order. According to the Agam, Mahavira had an excellent community of 14000 monks headed by Indrabhuti, of 36000 nuns headed by Chandana, 1,59,000 male followers headed by Sankha-Sataka, and 3,18,000 female followers headed by Sulsa and Revati. Besides, he had in his order

 300 monks who were masters of 14 Purvas,

 1300 monks who had avadhi knowledge,

 700 monks who were kevalins,

700 monks who had power to transform,

500 monks with great intellect

400 monks who were scholars

700 monks who had been perfected and

800 monks who were in their final stage

as mentioned in  Kalpa Sutra, 134-145.

Mahavira divided his fourteen thousand monks into nine regular schools called Gana and placed each school under the headship of one of his chief disciples or Ganadhara. The leading Ganadhara had five hundred monks under them, but some of the others had only three hundred or two hundred and fifty. Gautama was at the head of a school of five hundred, and so were his brothers Agnibhuti and Vayubhuti, his other brother Akampita being at the head of three hundred scholars. Sudharma was the head of another school of five hundred monks. After Sudharma, the Jain monks who became the head were all considered to be the disciple of Ganadhara Sudharma. It is surprising that no other Ganadhara left any noteworthy disciple of historical relevance.