Mahavira

Mahavira (Sanskrit महावीर, Kannada ಮಹಾವೀರ and Tamil அருகன்("Arugan") lit. "Great Hero", traditionally 599 – 527 BCE^[1]) is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana (Sanskrit: वर्धमान "increasing") who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24^th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arugan or Arugadevan. He is also known in texts as Vira or Viraprabhu, Sanmati, Ativira,and Gnatputra. In the Buddhist Pali Canon, he is referred to as Nigantha Nātaputta.

Life

Birth of Prince Vardhaman

Queen Trishala and her fourteen dreams from Kalpasutra

In a place called Kshatriyakunda in the ancient kingdom of Lachuar in Jamui District in modern day Bihar, India, Mahavira was born to King Siddartha and Queen Trishala on the 13th day under the rising moon of Chaitra (12 April according to the Gregorian calendar). While still in his mother's womb it is believed he brought wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom, which is why he was also known as Vardhaman. An increase of all good things, like the abundant bloom of beautiful flowers, was noticed in the kingdom after his conception. Queen Trishala had 14 (14 in Swetambar Sect, 16 in Digambar Sect) auspicious dreams before giving birth to Vardhaman, signs foretelling the advent of a great soul.

Jain tradition states that after his birth, Indra bathed him in celestial milk with rituals befitting a future Tirthankar and he was returned to his mother, Trishala.

Vardhaman's birthday is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti, the most important religious holiday of Jains around the world.

Early years

As King Siddartha's son, he lived as a prince. However, even at that tender age he exhibited a virtuous nature. He started engaging in meditation and immersed himself in self-contemplation. He was interested in the core beliefs of Jainism and began to distance himself from worldly matters.

Spiritual pursuit

India at the time of Mahavira

At the age of thirty Mahavira renounced his kingdom and family, gave up his worldly possessions, and spent twelve years as an ascetic. During these twelve years he spent most of his time meditating. He gave utmost regard to other living beings, including humans, animals and plants, and avoided harming them. He had given up all worldly possessions including his clothes, and lived an extremely austere life. He exhibited exemplary control over his senses while enduring the penance during these years. His courage and bravery earned him the name Mahavira. These were the golden years of his spiritual journey, at the end of which he achieved Kaivalya Gyan. He was now a person of infinite harmony, knowledge and self-control.

Later years

Mahavira devoted the rest of his life to preaching the eternal truth of spiritual freedom to people around India. He traveled barefoot and without clothes, in the hardest of climates, and people from all walks of life came to listen to his message. At one point Mahavira had over 400,000 followers. Mahavira's preaching and efforts to spread Jain philosophy is considered the real catalyst to the spread of this ancient religion throughout India and into the mainstream.

At the age of 72 years and 4.5 months, he attained Nirvana in the area known as Pawapuri on the last day of the Indian and Jain calendars, Dipavali. Jains celebrate this as the day he attained liberation or Moksha. Jains believe Mahavira lived from 599-527 BCE, though some scholars prefer 549-477 BCE.^[2]

Previous births

Mahavira’s previous births are discussed in many Jain texts like Trisastisalakapurusa Charitra and Uttarapurana. While a soul undergoes countless reincarnations in transmigratory cycle of samsara, the births of a Tirthankara are reckoned from the time he secures samyaktva or Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Jain texts discuss 26 births of Mahavira prior to his incarnation as a Tirthankara.^[3] They are: ^[4]

1. Nayasara – A village headman who secured samyaktva or partial enlightenment in this birth on account of preaching of true dharma by Jain monks.
2. Demi-god in First Saudharma (Name of Heaven as per Jain cosmology)
3. Prince Marichi – Grandson of Rsabha, the first Tirthankara.
4. Demi-god in Fifth Brahma (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)
5. Kaushika – A Brahmin
6. Pushyamitra – A Brahmin
7. Demi-god in First Saudharma
8. Agnidyota – A Brahmin
9. Demi-god in Second Ishana (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)
10. Agnibhuti – A Brahmin
11. Demi-god in Third Saudharma
12. Bharadwaja – A Brahmin
13. Demi-god in Fourth Mahendra (Name of Heaven as per Jain cosmology)
14. Sthavira – A Brahmin
15. Demi-god in Fifth Brahma
16. Prince Vishvabhuti
17. Demi-god in Seventh Mahashukra (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)
18. Triprishtha Vasudeva – First Vasudeva of this half-time-cycle
19. Naraka in the seventh hell
20. A lion
21. Naraka in the fourth hell
22. A human being (Name unknown)
23. Priyamitra – A Chakvartin (The universal ruler of seven continents)
24. Demi-god in Seventh Mahashukra (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)
25. Prince Nandana – Accepted the vow of self control and gained Tirthankara nama karma.
26. Demi-god in tenth Pranata (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)
27. Vardhamana Mahavira (The final birth)

Philosophy

Mahavira

The Jina, or Mahavir, as Guru folio from a manuscript, Gujarat, India, c. 1411

Mahavira's philosophy has eight cardinal principals – three metaphysical and five ethical. The objective is to elevate the quality of life.

Mahavira preached that from eternity, every living being (soul) is in bondage to karmic atoms accumulated by good or bad deeds. In a state of karmic delusion, the individual seeks temporary and illusory pleasure in material possessions, which are the root causes of self-centered violent thoughts and deeds as well as anger, hatred, greed, and other vices. These result in further accumulation of karma.

To liberate one's self, Mahavira taught the necessity of right faith (samyak-darshana), right knowledge (samyak-gyana), and right conduct (samyak-charitra'). At the heart of right conduct for Jains lie the five great vows:

• Nonviolence (Ahimsa) - to cause no harm to any living being;
• Truthfulness (Satya) - to speak the harmless truth only;
• Non-stealing (Asteya) - to take nothing not properly given;
• Chastity (Brahmacharya) - to indulge in no sensual pleasure;
• Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha) - to detach completely from people, places, and material things.

These vows cannot be fully implemented without accepting the philosophy of non-absolutism (Anekantvada) and the theory of relativity (Syādvāda, also translated "qualified prediction"). Monks and nuns adhere strictly to these vows, while the laypeople observe them as best they can.

Mahavira taught that men and women are spiritual equals and that both may renounce the world in search of moksh or ultimate happiness.

Mahavira attracted people from all walks of life, rich and poor, men and women, touchable and untouchable. He organized his followers into a fourfold order; monk (Sadhu), nun (Sadhvi), layman (Shravak), and laywoman (Shravika). This order is known as Chaturvidh Jain Sangh.

Replica of Pavapuri temple at Pansara. Mahavira attained Nirvana at Pava.

Plate showing Mahavira accepting Alms

Mahavira's sermons were preserved orally by his immediate disciples in the Agam Sutras. Through time many Agam Sutras have been lost, destroyed, or modified. About one thousand years after Mahavira's time the Agam Sutras were recorded on Tadpatris (palm leaf paper used then to form books). Swetambar Jains accept these sutras as authentic teachings while Digambar Jains use them as a reference.

Jainism existed before Mahavir, and his teachings were based on those of his predecessors. Thus Mahavira was a reformer and propagator of an existing religion, rather than the founder of a new faith. He followed the well established creed of his predecessor Tirthankar Parshvanath. However, Mahavira did reorganize the philosophical tenets of Jainism to correspond to his times.

A few centuries after Mahavira's Nirvana, the Jain religious order (Sangh) grew more and more complex. There were schisms on minor points, although they did not affect Mahavira's original doctrines. Later generations saw the introduction of rituals and complexities that some criticize as placing Mahavira and other Tirthankars on the throne similar to those of Hindu deities.

Texts

Folio from a Kalpasutra (Book of Sacred Precepts) by Acharya Bhadrabahu, c. 1400 CE

There are various Jain texts describing the life of Lord Mahavira. The most notable of them is Kalpasutra by Acharya Bhadrabahu I. The first Sanskrit biography of Mahavira was Vardhamacharitra by Asaga in 853 CE ^[5]

Further reading

• "Sraman Mahavira" by Acharya Mahapragya
• "Lord Mahavira and his times" by Kailash Chand Jain (1991) Motilal Banarsidass Publishers PVT LTD Delhi (India)
• "Lord Mahavira (A study in historical perspective)" by Bool Chand ( 1987 ) P.V. Research Institute I.T.I Road Varanasi 5 (India)
• "Lord Mahavira in the eyes of foreigners" by Akshaya Kumar Jain ( 1975 ) Meena Bharati New Delhi 110003 (India)

Quotes

• "Once when he sat [in meditation]... they cut his flesh... tore his hair... picked him up and... dropped him... the Venerable One bore the pain." (from the Acaranga Sutra)

See also

• Tirthankara
• Jain philosophy
• Jainism
• History of Jainism
• Trishala

Notes

External links

• http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/mahavira.html
• Shri Mahavir Swami Jain temple in Osiya