Table of Contents
Introduction
Mahavira (Sanskrit: Vardhamana) was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. He was the spiritual heir of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born into a prominent Jain family in Bihar, India, in the early sixth century BCE. The name of his mother was Trishala, and his father’s name was Siddhartha. They were lay devotees of Parshvanatha. Mahavira finally was called an ascetic at the age of 30 after giving up all of his worldly possessions and leaving home in search of spiritual awakening. After approximately twelve and a half years of intense meditation and severe austerities, Mahavira attained Kevala Gyan (omniscience). In the 6th century BCE, he preached for 30 years and attained moksha (liberation); however, the exact year differs depending on the sect.
In ancient India, Mahavira was an older contemporary of Gautama Buddha, who preached Jainism. Mahavira taught that spiritual liberation entails observance of the ahimsa (nonviolence), Satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-stealing) vows (non-attachment). He taught Anekantavada’s syadvada and nayavada ideas (many-sided reality). Mahavira’s teachings were formalized as the Jain Agamas by Indrabhuti Gautama, his greatest pupil. By the 1st century CE, the scriptures, which were passed down orally by Jain monks, were considered to have been lost (when the remaining were first written down in the Svetambara tradition). The surviving variants of Mahavira’s Agamas are among Svetambara Jainism’s foundation scriptures. In Digambara Jainism, however, their authenticity is questioned.
In ancient India, Mahavira was an older contemporary of Gautama Buddha, who preached Jainism.
Mahavira taught that spiritual liberation entails observance of the ahimsa (nonviolence), Satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-stealing) vows (non-attachment). He taught Anekantavada’s syadvada and nayavada ideas (many-sided reality). Mahavira’s teachings were formalized as the Jain Agamas by Indrabhuti Gautama, his greatest pupil. By the 1st century CE, the scriptures, which were passed down orally by Jain monks, were considered to have been lost (when the remaining were first written down in the Svetambara tradition). The surviving variants of Mahavira’s Agamas are among Svetambara Jainism’s foundation scriptures. In Digambara Jainism, however, their authenticity is questioned.
Mahavira is typically depicted seated or standing in a meditative stance, with a lion emblem beneath him. His oldest imagery originates from archaeological sites in the North Indian city of Mathura and dates from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Mahavir Janma Kalyanak commemorates Shri Gautama Swami’s birth, while Diwali commemorates his nirvana (salvation) and first shishya (spiritual enlightenment). Mahavira is known by various names (or epithets) in early Jain and Buddhist literature, including Nayaputta, Muni, Samana, Niggantha, Brahman, and Bhagavan. He is referred to as Araha (“good”) and Veyavi (derived from “Vedas” but meaning “intelligent”) in early Buddhist suttas. The Kalpa Stra is known as Sramana, which means “devoid of love and hatred.”According to later Jain writings, Mahavira’s boyhood name was Vardhamna (“the one who grows”) because the kingdom was prosperous at the time of his birth. According to the Kalpasutras, the gods in the Kalpa Stra dubbed him Mahavira (“the great hero”) because he remained firm in the face of dangers, fears, difficulties, and tragedies. A Tirthankara is another name for him.
Birth and Renunciation
Tirthankara Mahavira took birth in the royal Kshatriya dynasty of King Siddhartha of the Ikshvaku Dynasty and Queen Trishala of the Licchavi Dynasty. The Ikshvaku Dynasty was founded by Rishabhanatha, the First Tirthankara. Mahavira was born in 599 BCE, according to Jains. In the Vira Nirvana Samvat calendar era, his birthday falls on the thirteenth day of the rising moon in the month of Chaitra. Jains call it Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, and it happens in the months of March or April on the Gregorian calendar. Kundagrama, Mahavira’s birthplace, is believed to be near Vaishali, an ancient village in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Due to migrations from ancient Bihar for economic and political reasons, its current location in Bihar is uncertain. According to the “Universal