Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c12.s9.16

c12.s9.16

The Kalpasūtra (translation, S.B.E. XXII, pp. 288 ff.) gives a list of the Gaṇas and Sākhās that originated in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. within the Nirgrantha community. According to it, one of the disciples of Bhadrabāhu, named Godāsa founded the Godāsa-gaṇa which divided itself into four Sākhās namely : Tāmraliptika, Koṭivarṣiya, Puṇḍravardhanīya and Dāsīkharbaṭika. The first three are well known names of places in Bengal. The tradition would thus have us believe that the Nirgrantha religion, in the beginning of the 3rd century B.C., had spread to Bengal to such an extent as to lead to the formation of local subsects. The Kalpasūtra further says that Mahāgiri had eight disciples, two of whom, Uttara and Balissaha, founded a Gaṇa named Uttarabalissaha. This Gaṇa also divided itself into four Sākhās namely : Kauśāmbikā, Sautaptikā, Kauṭumbinī and Candanāgarī.