The Antagada-Dasao and Anuttarova Vaiya-Dasao - Translated From the Prakrit #251352

His tastes, however, led him in another direction. To one of his grim temperament religion offered a more honourable career than courts; and the prospect of pontifical power was attractive to an ambitious younger son. At the age of thirty he took the vows, and entered an ascetic fraternity observing the rules traditionally ascribed to Parévanatha. After a short time he left them, and established a severely ascetic brotherhood, claiming direct spiritual descent from Parévanatha and his legendary predecessors. These Nirgranthas, or Nigganthas, as they were called — the word means loosed from bondage became numerous in Bihar,1 and thence spread their doctrines over the rest of India.