Pattävali of Senagana: Genealogy ofAn Ascetic Order

Summary

Dr. A.N. Upadhye’s article presents a reconstructed edition and critical exposition of a rare Jain Pattāvalī (ascetic genealogy) of the Mūlasangha, Senagaṇa, Puṣkaragaccha, based on a manuscript obtained in 1931 from Pt. Bāhubali Sharma of Sangli, Maharashtra. The original press copy was lost during the Partition riots of 1947, and this version—prepared with minimal emendations—preserves traditional historical value. Key Historical and Textual Elements i) Early Verses (1–9): Trace a spiritual lineage from the Tirthankaras to Ācārāṅgadhārins, highlighting major figures in the Jain philosophical tradition. ii) Verse 10 onward: Attributes authorship of the Pattāvalī to Jinasena (I), who succeeded Vṛddha Kumārasena. He is credited with the compilation of 3 crore texts, including Dhavalā, Mahādhavalā, Jayadhavalā, and Vijayadhavalā. iii) Figures of importance: a) Vīrasena and Dharmasena were pivotal in the study of Jain Siddhānta; Vīrasena, associated with Vāṭa (near modern Nasik), is credited with calculating the sum of an infinite geometric progression—the earliest known in Indian mathematics. b) Siddhasena Divākara is said to have converted King Vikramāditya at Ujjain by manifesting an image of Pārśva from a broken Liṅga. c) Samantabhadra fashioned an image of Candraprabha from the Bhimalinga at Drākṣābhirāma (Telugu region). d) Guṇabhadra was a pupil of Jinasena and linked to Hemāṅgupha Siddhacakra worship on Mt. Raivata. Later Lineage: i) The genealogy continues with Devasena, Mahāsena (author of Pradyumnakāvya), Brahmasena (associated with Āḷanda, Karnataka), Malliseṇa (composed Mantrakalpas like Padmāvatīkalpa), and others. ii) Figures like Āśādhara and Kamalabhadra contributed to vratā (vow) traditions. Kumārasena is described as having appeased the wrath of a king named Allādikhan. iii) Śrīdhara debated Buddhists at Śrīkañcī; Somasena debated a Śaiva ascetic and had Mahamudā Pātasāha as pupil. i) The final monk named is Lakṣmisena, indicating continuity up to recent centuries. Textual Structure i) Forty-nine verses are provided in Sanskrit transliteration. ii) Notably, verses identify authorship of canonical and non-canonical works, debates with rival sects, and royal patronage. iii) The manuscript combines spiritual, literary, and institutional history of the Senagaṇa with geographic references stretching from Pāhāṛpur (Bangladesh) to Deccan India and Ujjain. Editorial Notes and Contextual Scholarship i) Jinasena-I (770–850 C.E.) was a central Digambara scholar and preceptor to Rāṣṭrakūṭa king Amoghavarṣa. ii) Vīrasena’s scholarly contributions were pivotal, especially the Dhavalā commentary. He was educated at Vāṭana University, a Jain institution which flourished for 150 years and is mentioned in Sudarśanacarita by Nayanandi (1042 C.E.). iii) Historian Jyoti Prasad Jain connects this Pattāvalī to the Pañcastūpānvaya lineage and observes its transformation into the Senagaṇa in Deccan India.