Jina m. butchart at 03:15, 5 July 2025

2025-07-05T03:15:32Z

New page

{{short description|Ancient Jain monastic order in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
[[Image:Sonagir engraving2.jpg|thumb|right|325px|The sacred temple city at [[Sonagir]], a major center of [[Bhattaraka]]s of Balatkara Gana. From "India and Its Native Princes" By [[Louis Rousselet]], Charles Randolph Buckle London : Chapman and Hall, 1875]]
{{Jainism}}
'''Balatkara Gana''' is an ancient [[Jain]] [[monastic order]]. It is a section of the [[Mula Sangh]]. It is often termed ''Balatkara Gana Sarasvati Gachchha''.<ref>Jain Shilalekh Samgrah, Part 4, Vidyadhar Johrapurkar, Bharatiya Jnanapith, 1961</ref> Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was present in a number of places in [[India]].<ref>Vidaydhar Johrapurkar, Bhattaraka Sampradaya, Solapur, 1958</ref> However all its seats in North India became vacant in early 20th century. It survives only at [[Humbaj]] in [[Karnataka]], which is its ancient seat.

The [[Bhattaraka]] seat at Humcha was founded in the 8th century AD, during the reign of Jinadatta Rai, founder of the ruling dynasty of Santar. In 1048 AD, the Mahamandaleshwara Chandarayarus made a donation to a Bhattaraka of Balagara-gana at Balligame near Banavasi in present-day [[Karnataka]]. Thus, the Bhattaraka seat at [[Humbaj|Humcha]] (or Humbaj) may be one of the oldest of its kind. The current Bhattaraka Srimad [[Devendrakeerthi]] Bhattaraka Maharaj has supervised 31 pratishthas outside India.

Balatkara Gana arrived in North India in the 13th century as attested by inscriptions at Un (Vikram 1218), Ahar (Vikram 1228) and Hoshangabad (Vikram 1271.<ref>Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh, Madhya Pradesh: 13th Shati Tak, Dr. Kasturchand Jain Suman, 2001</ref>

There exists a chronology ([[Pattavali]]) of the northern Indian tradition the early part of which was composed during the time of Bhataraka Prabhachandra II. Early part of the chronology is supported by a 13th-century inscription associated with the building of the [[Kirti Stambh]] of [[Chittor]].<ref>Jain Shilalekh Samgrah, Part 5, Vidyadhar Johrapurkar, Bharatiya Jnanapith, 1971</ref>
The disciples of Bhattaraka [[Prabhachandra]] founded several branches and sub-branches in several regions of India.

==North India branches==
[[Prabhachandra]] (1318–1368) is regarded to be the first Bhattaraka of [[Delhi]] (see [[Jainism in Delhi]]) who reigned during 1318–1388. His pupil Padmanandi (1368–1418) had three disciples.
*[[Sakalakirti]] (1420–1475), first Bhattakra of [[Idar, Gujarat|Idar]] lineage.
* Devendrakirti, who had two disciples:
**Vidyanandi, who founded the Rander-[[Surat]] lineage.
**Tribhuvanakirti who founded the [[Chanderi]] lineage.
*Shubhachandra (1418–1450), whose disciple [[Jivaraj Papriwal|Jinachandra]] (1450–1514), both Bhattarakas of Delhi, had three pupils:
** Ratnakirti, founder of [[Nagaur]] lineage of 26 Bhattarakas into 20th century.
**Prabhachandra II, who had two pupils:
***Dharmachandra, founder of [[Chittore]]/[[Amer, India|Amer]]/[[Jaipur]] lineage
***Sumatikirti, founder of [[Gwalior]] lineage. A branch of this later managed [[Sonagir]] until 1974.

The dates for the Bhattarakas of Delhi were computed by Dr. Jyotiprasad Jain.<ref>Chronology of the Bhattarakas of Delhi, Dr. Jyotiprasad Jain, Anekanta Oct. 1964, pp. 159-164</ref>

==Pattavalis (pontifical genealogies)==

There exist several pattavalis of Mula Sangh-Balatkara Gana-Saraswati Gachchha.

* By Dr. Hoerncle, published in ''[[The Indian Antiquary]]'', Oct 1891, p341-361; March 1892, pp. 57–85 .<ref>Dr. Hoerncle, Sarasvati gachha pattavali, Indian Antiquary, Vol. XX, Oct 1891, March 1892.</ref> These include Pattavalis
A (1840 CE Nagaur includes Jnatis), B(1840 Chittor includes Jnatis ), C (1450CE), D(1822-1826 CE), E (1880CE, includes Jnatis).
* Amer-Jaipur Pattavali, given by Siddhantacharya Phulachandra Shastri <ref>Siddhantacharya Phulachandra Shastri, Parwar Jain Samaj ka Itihas, 1990, Jabalpur</ref> (referred to as Ujjain Pattavali).
* Gwalior-Bateshwar Pattavali, given by Pt. Jhammanlal Jain Tarkatirtha.<ref>Pt. Jhammanlal Jain Tarkatirtha, Shri Lamechu Samaj ka Itihas, Calcutta, 1952</ref>

The pattavalis give the following segments<ref>Kailash Chandra Jain, Malwa through the ages, 1972,
Motilal Banarsidass</ref>

* Bhaddalpur, Dakshin Desh (South country) or Malwa, 26 Acharyas
* [[Ujjain]], 18 Acharyas
* Baran (Near Kota), 12 Acharyas
* [[Gwalior]] (or Chittor and Baghera), 14 Acharyas
* [[Ajmer]] (From Vishalakirti to [[Prabhachandra]], the last Acharya)
* [[Delhi]] (Bhattarakas Prabhachnadra, Padmanandi, Shubhachandra and [[Jinachandra]]

Because of occasional shifting, some of the monks may have lived in different places at different times, causing some disagreements in the pattavalis.

Three inscriptions describing the construction of [[Kirti Stambha]] of [[Chittor]] have been found that mention Vishalakirti-Shubhakirti-Dharmachandra thus conforming the names going back to 13th century.

==See also==
* [[Kirti Stambha]]
* [[Mula Sangh]]
* [[Bhattaraka]]
* [[Acharya]]
* [[Jainism in Delhi]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Jain Gurus}}
{{Jainism Topics}}

[[Category:Digambara sects]]

Balatkara Gana - Revision history

Jina m. butchart at 03:15, 5 July 2025