LIFE OF LORD MAHAVIR:

1. PICTORIAL LIFE OF LORD MAHAVIR:

Today is Lord Mahavir Jayanthi. In his memory this is posted.

Courtesy:'jainworld.com

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2. A BRIEF LIFE OF LORD MAHAVIR:

Lord Mahavir was the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Jain religion. He was born 2596 years ago on the 13th day of the rising moon of Chaitra, in either 599 BC or 615 BC (depending on religious tradition) at Kundagrama in the kingdom of Vaishali, near Patna in Bihar. According to the Digambara school of Jainism, Lord Mahavir was born in the year 615 BC, but the Swetambaras believe that He was born in 599 BC. His father was Siddhartha, a chieftain of Kundagrama and his mother was Trishala. Queen Trishala saw 14 auspicious dreams when the child was in her womb.

When the child was born he was named Varthamana- he who brings prosperity, because his father’s wealth had increased during the pregnancy of the mother. He is however, popularly called Mahavir, the great hero, because he subdued his passions.

 As a young boy, Varthamana was handsome, brave and fearless. He was liked by one and all. Once he was playing with children in the mango-grove, when a huge snake curled itself around the trunk of the tree nearby. Other boys fled, but Varthamana coolly held the serpent by its hood and with a jerk threw it away like a piece of rope.

Mahavir was married to Yasoda and had a daughter according to the Shvetambara tradition. From childhood, he was very quiet, resolute and indifferent to worldly matters. Although he was surrounded by comforts and luxuries, he had a strong sense of detachment. At the age of thirty, after the passing away of his parents and with the consent of his elder brother he renounced the world and became a Shramana or a wandering monk. He vowed to remain equanimous throughout his life. He did rigorous austerities, including prolonged fasts, for twelve and half years till he achieved Kevala-Jnana [omniscience]. Mahavir faced numerous hardships and indigenous during this long Samnyasa period but he proved to be an incarnation of forbearance and became his chief disciples, and formed the forgiveness.

After attaining omniscience, Lord Mahavir began to preach, wandering from one place to the other on foot. On hearing his teachings, 11 eminent Brahmin scholars led by Indrabhuti Gautama and formed the nucleus of the religious Order. Lord Mahavir established fourfold congregation of monks, nuns, laymen devotees and laywomen devotees. In the Sangha so established, there was no difference between men and women. The women were also initiated as nuns, which was a great revolutionary step at that time.

For thirty long years, Mahavir went about preaching the religion [non-violence], Anekanta [non-absolutism] andAparigraha [non-possession]. At the age of 72 he passed away at Pavapuri in Bihar.

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