Jainism, a timeline

Jainik Shroff

Jainism is an eternal religion — it has existed since the beginning of time
and will continue to exist forever. Fortunately, the Jain time cycle gives us a framework by which to measure events over time. It consists of two halves, Utsarpini (ascending) and Avasarpini (descending). Each half contains
six subsections known as Aras, and Tirthankars are only present during the 3rd and 4th Aras of each half; presently, we are in the 5th Ara of the Avsarpini half of the time cycle. Given the vastness of Jain history, this timeline covers a more recent history of the religion, beginning with the birth of 23rd Tirthankar Parshwanath Bhagwan.

Timeline

What were the Vachanas?

These were conferences held by Acharyas in efforts to preserve the Agams, or the teachings of Mahavir Bhagwan. Following Mahavir Bhagwan’s Nirvan, the Agams were orally passed down from monk-to-monk. However, given their immense length, parts were eventually forgotten — and in the case of the Digambar tradition, all were forgotten.¹ According to Shwetambar tradition, however, the first Vachana was convened under the leadership of Acharya Sthulibhadra in Patliputra around 367 BCE, 160 years after Mahavir Swami’s Nirvan. Almost every Agam was completely recollected, but the last Ang Agam, Drashtivad, was so big that no Jain monk was able to recall it. Two more Vachanas were held in Mathura and Vallabhi after the first to record the Agams in scripture form and prevent future discrepancies. Written in Ardha-Magadhi-Prakrit, the language of the time, the Agams have been commentated on and loosely translated to current languages (Hindi, Gujarati, English, etc.) for learning today. You can also visit the Agam temples where the Vachanas were held.

¹Digambar Jains instead use texts including the Shatkhand Agam and Kashaya Pahud as a foundation for their beliefs.

Who was Hemchandra Acharya and why was he so important?

Known as “Kali-kal Sarvagnya” or the all-knower in this present era of darkness, Hemchandra Acharya was born in 1088 CE. When he was still a child, a prominent Acharya told his mother that he had the potential to be a great Jain monk and persuaded her to allow him to raise and teach her son. He quickly mastered many scriptures and gained the respect of all people, including King Kumarpal, who ruled over Gujarat at the time. In fact, Hemchandra Acharya was able to convert King Kumarpal to vegetarianism and ban meat in the entire kingdom. Hemchandra Acharya is also remembered for his embodiment of religious tolerance and his dedication to the welfare of all citizens.

What caused the first major split
in Jainism?

Bhadrabahu Swami predicted a famine in Magadha, where he resided. He, along with 12,000 monks, moved to modern-day Karnataka. When his disciples returned to Magadha, they noticed two changes that had taken place as a result of the famine under the leadership of Acharya Stulibhadra: in clothing (versus nudity) and inconsistencies in the memorized Agams. Thus, the groups both proclaimed themselves the true followers and split.