According to Jain tradition, who became the head (chief) of the Jain Sangha immediately after the death of Lord Mahavira?

Introduction / Context:
After the death of a great religious teacher, the question of who leads the community next is very important. In Jainism, Lord Mahavira is regarded as the 24th and last Tirthankara. Jain tradition records a succession of spiritual leaders who headed the Jain Sangha after him. This question tests your knowledge of who immediately succeeded Mahavira as the head of the Jain community.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the period immediately following Mahavira's death.
• The role in question is the chief or head of the Jain Sangha.
• The options are Jambu, Bhadrabahu, Sthulbhadra, and Sudharma.
• We assume familiarity with at least some names from Jain spiritual lineages.

Concept / Approach:
Jain tradition holds that Sudharma (Sudharmaswami) was the last surviving direct disciple of Mahavira and that he became the head of the Jain Sangha after Mahavira's nirvana. Jambu is considered an important later leader and, in some accounts, the last omniscient (kevali) in the Jain tradition, but not the immediate successor. Bhadrabahu and Sthulbhadra are also significant figures, particularly in connection with later schisms and migrations, yet they come after Sudharma in the line of succession. Therefore, the correct answer is Sudharma.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify Mahavira as the 24th Tirthankara and central figure of Jainism. Step 2: Recall that he had several principal disciples, known as Ganadharas, among whom Sudharma was prominent. Step 3: Recognise that Jain tradition describes Sudharma as the last surviving disciple of Mahavira at the time of the Tirthankara's death. Step 4: Understand that leadership of the Jain Sangha passed to Sudharma immediately after Mahavira's nirvana. Step 5: Place Jambu, Bhadrabahu, and Sthulbhadra later in the succession line, not as the immediate successor. Step 6: Conclude that Sudharma is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Traditional Jain texts and lineage lists (succession lists of acharyas) identify Sudharma as the first leader of the Jain community after Mahavira. They then often list Jambu as a successor several generations later, followed by other acharyas. Bhadrabahu and Sthulbhadra appear in accounts involving the migration of Jain monks to the south during a famine and later doctrinal divergences, not as the immediate head after Mahavira. These consistent lists support Sudharma as the first successor.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Jambu: A significant Jain teacher who comes after Sudharma in the line and is sometimes called the last omniscient, but he is not the immediate successor to Mahavira.
• Bhadrabahu: An important later acharya associated with the southern migration of Jain monks, not the first leader after Mahavira.
• Sthulbhadra: A disciple of Bhadrabahu and a figure in later Jain history, not the immediate head of the Sangha after Mahavira's death.

Common Pitfalls:
Because many names appear in Jain traditional lists, it is easy to muddle their order. Some learners mistakenly pick Jambu or Bhadrabahu due to their prominence without focusing on the specific phrase “after the death of Mahavira.” To avoid confusion, remember the clear sequence: Mahavira is followed immediately by his disciple Sudharma, and then by Jambu and subsequent acharyas.

Final Answer:
According to Jain tradition, the head of the Jain Sangha immediately after Mahavira's death was Sudharma.