The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c6.243.1

c6.243.1

§34. Apart from dealing with the Digambaras, Dharmasāgara in his publication finally refers to a number of branches which for the lack of essential material divergencies would scarcely be designated as *kupakṣa* by any impartial author. He himself belonged to the Tapā-Gaccha. In linguistic usage the gaccha follows on the *gaṇa*.⁴ In the course of time there are said to have been numerous gacchas or Orders which is frequently expressed by the figure of 84 (§ 16)¹, but only few of them have come to gain any considerable and lasting importance. Thanks to the disposition of the Jains for chronicling we have comprehensive lists of teachers to inform us accordingly.² They usually go by the name of paṭṭāvali in the sense of paṭṭadhar’āvali since in this connexion paṭṭa means "place of honour, throne". He who occupies it bears the title of Sūri, and he personally appoints his successor. Frequently the lists (chronicles) are traced back to Sudharman, or even to Mahāvīra who, however, is not everywhere considered as paṭṭa-dhara.³ The Upakeśa-Gaccha, to refer to this list first, even goes back to Pāsa which follows from an intended relation to Keśin, the disciple of Pārśva known from Uvanga.