Mahāgiri and himself; Suhastin therefore set himself to gain new disciples, and owing to his influence many new branches of the order were formed. Perhaps new recruits were received too readily, at any rate it was under him that Avantī Kumāra, whom the Jaina cite as the typical man who found the ascetic life too hard, joined the order. Avantī, the son of a rich man and brought up in luxury, could not bear all the suffering and hardships which fell to his lot as a monk. He dared not return to the world, so, to put an end to a position which he found intolerable, he committed suicide by fasting. His relatives built a magnificent temple on the spot where he died, and the Jaina say that this was the temple of Mahākāla in Ujjain, which is now, however, one of the twelve most famous Saiva temples in India. Poor Avantī’s story is still quoted as a warning not to enter on the mendicant life without counting the cost, and he is known as Avantī Sukumāra—Avantī the delicate.
Susthitasūri.Suhastin was succeeded by Susthitasūri in 177 B.C. Under him, according to the Jaina, their name of Nirgranthagaċċha was changed to that of Kalikagaċċha in honour of the krores of times the leader repeated the secret mantra taught him by his guru.
Indradinna.Indradinna, who followed Susthitasūri, is famous, not for anything that he did, but because the great Jaina saint Kalikāċārya flourished under his rule.
Kalikāċārya.The Jaina tell many stories of Kalikāċārya and the occult powers that his great learning gained him. It was owing to these powers, they believe, that he was able in 61 B.C. to destroy the dynasty of Gardabhila. Kalikāċārya’s sister was a nun, and she was once carried off by King Gardabhila. The saint went to a Scythian king and implored his assistance, but the king was afraid of attacking so powerful a sovereign as Gardabhila, especially as he was under the peculiar protection of the goddess Rāsabhī, who was able by the witchery of her singing to make it impossible for any one to approach within fourteen miles of the king.
