[ப]சித்திரு [த]ணித்திரு [வி]ழித்திரு -பதவி

MAHAVIRA:

Mahāvīra (Sanskrit: महावीर "Great Hero", Kannada: ಮಹಾವೀರ Mahāvīra, Malayalam: മഹാവീരൻ Mahāvīran and Tamil: அருகன் Arukaṉ) is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna (Sanskrit: वर्धमान; traditionally 599–527 BCE) who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan. 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 Kundalagrama (Vaishali district) situated close to Besadha Patti, 27 miles from Patna in modern day Bihar, India, Mahavira was born to King Siddartha and Queen Trishala on the 13th day under the rising moon of Chaitra (April 12 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 named Vardhaman. An increase of all good things, like the abundant bloom of beautiful flowers, was noticed in the kingdom after his conception. Trishala had a number of auspicious dreams before giving birth to Vardhaman (14 according to the Svetambaras and 16 according to the Digambaras), signs foretelling the advent of a great soul.

Jain tradition states that after his birth, the king of the gods, Indra, bathed him in celestial milk with rituals befitting a future Tirthankara and he was returned to his mother.

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

 

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.

They are:

Nayasara – A village headman who secured or partial enlightenment in this birth on account of preaching of true dharma by Jain monks.[clarification needed]

Demi-god in First Saudharma (Name of Heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Prince Marichi – Grandson of Rsabha, the first Tirthankara.

Demi-god in Fifth Brahma (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Kaushika – A Brahmin

Pushyamitra – A Brahmin

Demi-god in First Saudharma

Agnidyota – A Brahmin

Demi-god in Second Ishana (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Agnibhuti – A Brahmin

Demi-god in Third Saudharma

Bharadwaja – A Brahmin

Demi-god in Fourth Mahendra (Name of Heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Sthavira – A Brahmin

Demi-god in Fifth Brahma

Prince Vishvabhuti

Demi-god in Seventh Mahashukra (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Triprishtha Vasudeva – First Vasudeva of this half-time-cycle

Naraka in the seventh hell

A lion

Naraka in the fourth hell

A human being (Name unknown)

Priyamitra – A Chakvartin (The universal ruler of seven continents)

Demi-god in Seventh Mahashukra (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Prince Nandana – Accepted the vow of self control and gained Tirthankara nama karma.

Demi-god in tenth Pranata (Name of heaven as per Jain cosmology)

Vardhamana Mahavira (The final birth)

 

Philosophy:

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 (anekantavada) 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 moksha 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 (sādhu), nun (sādhvī), layman (Śrāvaka), and laywoman (Śrāvikā). This order is known as Chaturvidh Jain Sangha.

 

 

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

 

Mahavira's sermons were preserved orally by his immediate disciples known as Ganadharas in the Jain Agamas. Through time many Agama Sutras have been lost, destroyed, or modified. About one thousand years after Mahavira's time the Agama Sutras were recorded on palm leaf paper. Svetambaras accept these sutras as authentic teachings while Digambaras use them as a reference.

Jainism existed before Mahavira, 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 Tirthankara Parshva. However, Mahavira did reorganize the philosophical tenets of Jainism to correspond to his times.

A few centuries after Mahavira's Nirvana, the religious order 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 Tirthankaras on the throne similar to those of Hindu deities.

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