[5] According to the Śvetāmbara tradition, he was the author of the holy Kalpa Sūtra,[6] which describes the life of Mahavira and other Tirthankaras.

Bhadrabahu was born in Pundravardhana (roughly equivalent to modern North Bengal[8]) to a Brahmin family[9] during which time the secondary capital of the Mauryas was Ujjain.

[13] Bhadrabahu was in Nepal for a 12-year penitential vow when the Pataliputra conference took place in 300 BC to put together the Jain canon anew.

[20][21][22] According to Śvetāmbaras, Bhadrabahusuri was the author of the Kalpa Sūtra,[23] four Chedda sutras, the niryukti collection on ten scriptures,[24] and Uvasaggaharam Stotra.

Two inscriptions of about 900 AD on the Kaveri near Seringapatam describe the summit of a hill called Chandragiri as marked by the footprints of Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta munipati.

A Shravanabelagola inscription of 1129 mentions Bhadrabahu "Shrutakevali", and Chandragupta who acquired such merit that he was worshipped by the forest deities.

A third inscription of the year 1432 speaks of Yatindra Bhadrabahu, and his disciple Chandragupta, the fame of whose penance spread into other words.