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CHAPTER XI MONKS AND NUNS
It is an inevitable fact of history that certain persons acquire immortality because of their association with the great men of their age. We have many such personalities associated with the lives of both Mahāvira and the Buddha.
Eleven Gaņa dharas of Mahāvira have become immortal with him. They were the leaders of their respective teams called gaņa. It is they who preserved the great treasure of 12 Angas.
1. Indrabhūt i Gaut me. - He was the foremost among Mahāvira's disciples, and is inseparable from him. He used to ask from the most commonplace to the most difficult questions to the Master, and based on these questions and answers, there has been the compilation of the biggest of the Jaina Agamas, Vihāya Pannatti, popularly called Bhagavati. He was also famous for his great spiritual powers.
Gautama had the deepest affection for the Master. On the occasion of Mahavira's death, this affection overpowered him completely like a river flooding both the banks, and Gautama was deeply aggrieved at the apparent lack of reciprocation from the other side. But soon he controlled himself. He recognised the supreme detachment of the Master and his own attachment. From the outward, he turned to the inward. The vèil of ignorance was torn. He attained the supreme and limitless knowledge and himself became Arhat.
Once, Gautama felt a great mortification for his own self for not attaining the supreme knowledge. To rid him of this, Mahāyira said, -
"Gautama ! For a very long time, You are tied with me by affection. You have been all praise
