Among the following, who is given the credit of carrying Jainism in South Indian?

Bhadrabahu is credited with carrying Jainism to South India during the 4th century BCE. According to Jaina tradition, a severe famine in Magadha led Bhadrabahu to migrate south with a group of 12,000 disciples to maintain strict discipline [1]. He was accompanied by his royal disciple, the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya [t2][t3]. They settled at Shravanabelagola in present-day Karnataka, where both eventually performed the ritual of Sallekhana (death by fasting) [t5][t9]. While Bhadrabahu remained in the south, Sthulabhadra stayed in Magadha, leading to the schism between the Digambara and Svetambara sects [1]. Bhadrabahu's disciples, including Vishakacharya, are further credited with spreading the faith into the Tamil country [t7]. In contrast, Sudharmana and Indrabhuti were early disciples of Mahavira who remained in the north, and Sthulabhadra led the monks who stayed in Pataliputra [1][t2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > Life of Mahavira > p. 39