Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c5.83

c5.83

*Sravana Belgola Traditions.* We may also consider the implications of the unanimous Jain tradition that Chandragupta in his old age abdicated and followed the Jain saint Bhadrabāhu as his teacher. Both teacher and pupil then travelled towards the South and settled down at a place known as Sravana Belgola. The tradition is recorded with minor variations in a number of documents, both literary and epigraphic. The literary documents are (1) *Brihatkathā-Kośa* by Harisheṇa, dated in 931 A.D. (2) *Bhadrabāhu-Charita* by Ratnanandi of about 1450 A.D. (3) the Kannada work, *Munivaṁśābhyudaya* of c. 1680 A.D. and (4) the Kannada work, *Rājāvalī-* *kathe*. All these works agree as to the main facts. Bhadrabāhu in consequence of a severe famine in Bihar led a migration of the Jains towards the South. Chandragupta, "the king of Pāṭaliputra," [*Rājāvalīkathe*] abdicated the throne in favour of his son and followed Bhadrabāhu as his disciple. He became his chief disciple, attended him at his death at Sravana (Śramaṇa) Belgola where he lived on as an ascetic for some years till he died of starvation according to Jain practice.