Philosophy In Jain Agams: First Pātaliputra Vācana (Synod held at Pataliputra city)

After the 160 years of the salvation of Lord Mahavira, there had been a terrible draught in Pataliputra for almost twelve years. The shramana (Jain monk) group surviving there got disintegrated. After the drought, the monks who had migrated regathered in Pataliputra. Eleven aṅgas were compiled there but the twelfth aṅga Dṛṣṭivāda was forgotten by everyone except Bhadrabahu Swami. Acharya Bhadrabahu had gone to Nepal to practice the Mahāprāṇa meditation (that meditation in which the knowledge/ reflection of the meaning (purport) of the contents of the pūrvagataśruta is practiced). On the special request of the sangha (monk community), he accepted to teach the twelfth aṅga. Several monks went to receive the teachings, but Sthulibhadra alone was deemed to be eligible to grasp the knowledge of that aṅga. Monk Sthulibhadra received the knowledge of ten pūrvas and when the teaching of eleventh pūrva was progressing, he committed a blunder at this stage of learning. When his sisters came to meet him, out of remissness, he transformed himself in the form of a lion to awe them with his mystical achievements. When Acharya Bhadrabahu came to know about this, he stopped giving lessons to Sthulibhadra. After a lot of repentance for such a mistake and repeated requests by Sthulibhadra, he agreed to teach only the maxims of last four pūrvas but did not disclose their meanings. Hence, Bhadrabahu was the last caturdaśapūrvī (possessor of complete knowledge of fourteen pūrvas with meaning) and Sthulibhadra was daśapūrvī (possessor of knowledge of ten pūrvas) with meaning and caturdaśapūrvī (possessor of knowledge of fourteen pūrvas with maxims) without the meaning of last four pūrvas.^[1] Gradual loss of knowledge of the fourteen pūrvas began with the demise of Bhadrabahu Swami, which continued with the passage of time until it was completely lost.

Śramaṇa sangha received the knowledge of dvādaśāṅgī devoid of last four pūrvas in this first synod. Although Sthulibhadra was the possessor of fourteen pūrvas, he had no authority to teach last four pūrvas.^[2] According to śvetambara tradition, after 170 years of liberation of Lord Mahavira, the tradition of śrutakevalī came to an end with the demise of Bhadrabahu Swami. Digambara tradition opines that it was 162 years after Lord Mahavira's salvation that the tradition of śrutakevalī saw an end.

According to the śvetāmbara belief, the entire treasure of knowledge preached by Lord Mahavira could not be secured even in the first synod period. Loss began during this time itself. The first council was organized under the presidency of Sthulibhadra.