Gautamswami Gandhara - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Gautamswami Gandhara" by the JAINA Education Committee, based on the provided pages:

The book "Gautamswami Gandhara" details the life and spiritual journey of Gautamswami, who became a prominent disciple and the chief Gandhara (chief disciple) of Lord Mahavir Swami, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.

Early Life and Intellectual Prowess:

Gautamswami was born as Indrabhuti Gautam in the village of Gobar in Magadha, India, around 607 BCE. He was a Brahmin by birth, son of Vasubhuti Gautam and Prithvi.
He had three sons: Indrabhuti, Agnibhuti, and Vayubhuti, all of whom were accomplished in medicine and religious rituals from a young age, with each having 500 disciples.

The Great Sacrifice and Encounter with Lord Mahavir:

A grand sacrifice (yajna) was organized by a Brahmin named Somil in the neighboring village of Apapa. The ceremony was to be conducted by 4400 Brahmins and 11 Vedic scholars.
Indrabhuti Gautam was the most brilliant among the 11 Vedic scholars and was in charge of the entire ritual. The entire city was excited about this significant event.
As gods and goddesses were seen descending from the heavens to witness the yajna, Indrabhuti felt immense pride, believing that his fame would be remembered for centuries due to this event. He proudly announced to the people that deities were attending their sacrifice.
However, to everyone's surprise, the celestial beings did not stop at the yajna site but proceeded towards the Mahasen forest. Indrabhuti discovered that Lord Mahavir Swami, who had recently attained Keval Gyan (omniscience), was delivering a discourse in the common language of Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.
Feeling insulted that his yajna was not prioritized, Indrabhuti became angry and questioned Lord Mahavir's credentials, particularly his inability to speak Sanskrit. He decided to challenge Lord Mahavir in a debate to prove his superiority.

Gautamswami Becomes the First Disciple:

Despite never having met Indrabhuti before, Lord Mahavir welcomed him by name, which momentarily surprised Indrabhuti. He initially attributed this to his own renowned scholarship.
Lord Mahavir then addressed Indrabhuti's inner doubts about the soul. He asserted the existence of an eternal soul and cited numerous passages from Hindu Vedas to resolve Indrabhuti's skepticism.
Witnessing Lord Mahavir's profound knowledge of the Vedas, Indrabhuti realized the incompleteness of his own learning. He immediately renounced his pride and became Lord Mahavir's first and foremost disciple. At this time, Indrabhuti was 50 years old, and due to his Gautam lineage, he became known as Gautamswami.

The Other Eleven Gandharas:

Somil and the other ten scholars eagerly awaited Indrabhuti's triumphant return. Upon hearing that Indrabhuti had become a disciple of Mahavir, they were astonished.
The remaining ten scholars, intending to defeat Mahavir, also went to debate him. However, they too were convinced by Mahavir's teachings and became his disciples.
The news of this led Somil to cancel the yajna, release all the sacrificial animals, and flee in despair. These eleven scholars became the principal disciples of Lord Mahavir and are known as the Eleven Gandharas.

Key Incidents Illustrating Gautamswami's Spiritual Growth:

Anand Shravak's Avadhijnana: Gautamswami, living the life of a Jain monk following the five Mahavratas, encountered a devotee named Anand Shravak, who was being revered by people. Anand claimed to possess Avadhijnana (clairvoyance) extending to the highest heaven (first heaven) and the lowest hell (first hell). Gautamswami, believing this level of knowledge to be beyond a common devotee, suggested Anand perform penance for his perceived misstatement. Anand, confident in his truthfulness, questioned why a truthful person should do penance. This dilemma led Gautamswami to seek clarification from Lord Mahavir. Lord Mahavir affirmed Anand's knowledge and gently pointed out that Gautamswami's doubt was his error, emphasizing the importance of truth. Gautamswami, accepting his mistake, performed penance and apologized to Anand.
Feeding 1500 Ascetics: On another occasion, Gautamswami visited the shrines of Tirthankaras on Ashtapad mountain. The ascent was difficult for 1500 ascetics at the foothills. Through his spiritual powers (labdhis), gained through meditation and penance, Gautamswami, with the help of sun rays, ascended the mountain with ease. Impressed, the ascetics decided to become his disciples. Gautamswami then revealed his exceptional power of "Akshinmahanasi Labdhi" (inexhaustible ladle). He served a small portion of Khir (rice pudding) from his bowl to all 1500 ascetics, filling their stomachs completely. This demonstrated his mastery over material limitations.
Attaining Keval Gyan: Over time, all of Gautamswami's disciples attained Keval Gyan. Gautamswami, however, had not yet attained it, which caused him anxiety. He inquired from Lord Mahavir why, despite his disciples achieving omniscience, he had not. Lord Mahavir explained that his profound love and attachment for him as his guru were the reason. To achieve Keval Gyan, he needed to transcend all forms of attachment, including the "praiseworthy attachment" to his guru.
Final Attainment of Keval Gyan: When Lord Mahavir's final moments approached, he sent Gautamswami to preach to a disciple named Devasharma in a nearby village. It was on this day that Lord Mahavir attained Nirvana. While returning, Gautamswami received the news of Mahavir's Nirvana, which deeply affected him. He grieved, questioning why Mahavir had sent him away on his last day. However, he soon realized that nothing is permanent and all relationships are transient. He then consciously shed his deep emotional attachment to Lord Mahavir, much like a snake sheds its skin. Through this profound contemplation and detachment, Gautamswami destroyed his debilitating karmas and attained Keval Gyan at the age of 80. He achieved Nirvana at the age of 92, in 515 BCE.

Significance of Gautamswami's Journey:

Gautamswami, a learned Brahmin, recognized Lord Mahavir's superior knowledge and spiritual insight and humbly became his disciple.
His journey highlights the Jain principle of detachment. While his disciples achieved omniscience earlier due to his "attachment" (in the spiritual context of deep reverence) to Mahavir, he ultimately attained Keval Gyan after completely releasing this attachment and becoming "Vitaraagi" (free from passion and aversion).
Interestingly, Jain and Hindu calendars mark Lord Mahavir's Nirvana on Diwali and Gautamswami's attainment of Keval Gyan on the first day of the new year.

In essence, "Gautamswami Gandhara" is a narrative about intellectual prowess, spiritual transformation, the overcoming of ego, the profound impact of a guru, and the ultimate attainment of omniscience through detachment and self-realization, central themes in Jain philosophy.