Mahavira
This article is about the Jain Tirthankara. For the Jain mathematician, see Mahāvīra (mathematician).
Not to be confused with Mahavihara.
Mahavira (Mahāvīra), also known asVardhamāna, was the twenty-fourth and last Jain Tirthankara (Teaching God). Mahavira is often called the founder of Jainism, but this was not the case because the Jain tradition recognizes his predecessors.
Mahavira was born into a royal family in what is now Bihar, India, in either 599 BC[1] or 480 BC. At the age of 30, he left his home in pursuit of spiritual awakening, and abandoned worldly things, including his clothes, and became a Jain monk. For the next twelve-and-a-half years, Mahavira practiced intense meditation and severe penance, after which he became kevalī(omniscient).
For the next 30 years he travelled throughoutSouth Asia to teach Jain philosophy. Mahavira taught that the observance of the vows ahimsa (non-injury), satya (truth), asteya(non-thieving), brahmacharya (chastity) andaparigraha (non-attachment) is necessary to elevate the quality of life. The teachings of Mahavira were compiled by Gautama Swami(chief disciple) and were called Jain Agamas. Most of these Agamas are not available today. Jains believe Mahavira attained moksha(liberation from the cycle of birth and death) at the age of 72.
Biography
See also: Panch Kalyanaka
In Jainism, a Tirthankara (Maker of the River-Crossing or Teaching God) signifies the founder of a tirtha which means a fordable passage across the sea of interminable births and deaths (called saṃsāra).[2][3] According to the Jain texts, twenty-four Tirthankaras grace each half of the cosmic time cycle. Mahavira was the last Tirthankara of avasarpani (present descending phase).[note 1][5] Samantabhadra, a illustrious Digambara monk, who lived in the 2nd century A.D., called the tīrtha of Mahavira by the name Sarvodaya (universal uplift).[6]
Mahavira is often called the founder of Jainism, but this was not the case because the Jain tradition recognizes his predecessors and he is considered the 24th Tirthankara.[7]
Names
Mahavira's childhood name was Vardhamāna("the one who grows"), because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth.[8] He was called Mahavira ("the great hero") because of the acts of bravery he performed during his childhood.[9][10][11][12] Mahavira was given the title Jīnā ("the victor or conqueror of inner enemies such as attachment, pride and greed"), which later became synonymous withTirthankara.[13]
Buddhist texts refer to Mahavira as Nigaṇṭha Jñātaputta.[14] Nigaṇṭha means "without knot, tie, or string" and Jñātaputta (son of Natas), refers to his clan of origin as Jñāta or Naya(Prakrit).[13][15][16] He is also known asSramana (seeker).[9]
Birth
See also: Mahavir Jayanti
The Birth of Mahavira, from the Kalpa Sutra, c.1375–1400
Belonging to Kashyapa gotra,[9][17] Mahavira was born into the royal Kshatriya family of King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala (sister of King Chetaka of Vaishali)[17] of the Ikshvaku dynasty,[18] on the thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chaitra in the Vira Nirvana Samvatcalendar.[19][20] In the Gregorian calendar, this date falls in March or April and is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti.[21] Traditionally, Kundalpurin the ancient city of Kashtriya Kund Lachhuar is regarded as his birthplace ,at present this is comes under Sikandra Division of Jamui district, Bihar ;.[22] After his birth, anointment and abhisheka (consecration)—carried out by Indra on Mount Meru, the axis of the central cosmic contingent ofJambudvipa—he was given the nameVardhamāna.[23]
Early life
As the son of a king, Mahavira had all luxuries of life at his disposal. According to the second chapter of the Śvētāmbara textAcharanga Sutra, both his parents were followers of Parshvanatha and lay devotees of Jain ascetics.[24][8] Jain traditions do not agree about his marital state[note 2]; according to the Digambara tradition, Mahavira's parents wanted him to marry Yashoda but Mahavira refused to marry.[26] According to theŚvētāmbara tradition, he was married to Yashoda at a young age and had one daughter, Priyadarshana.[23][17]
Renunciation
At the age of thirty, Mahavira abandoned the comforts of royal life and left his home and family to live an ascetic life in the pursuit of spiritual awakening.[4] He underwent severe penances, meditated under the Ashoka treeand discarded his clothes.[4][10] There is a graphic description of his hardships and humiliation in the Acharanga Sutra. He suffered great distress in eastern Bengal; boys pelted him with stones and people often humiliated him.[27] According to Kalpa Sūtra, Mahavira spent forty-two monsoons of his ascetic life at Astikagrama, Champapuri, Prstichampa, Vaishali, Vanijagrama, Nalanda,Mithila, Bhadrika, Alabhika, Panitabhumi,Shravasti and Pawapuri.[28]
Omniscience
See also: Kevala Jnana and Samavasarana
Attainment of omniscience (kevalajñāna) by Mahavira
After twelve years of rigorous penance, at the age of 43, Mahavira achieved the state ofKevala Jnana (omniscience or infinite knowledge) under a Sāla tree.[29][30] The details of this event are mentioned in Jain texts like Uttar-purāņa and Harivamśa-purāņa.[31] The Acharanga Sutra describes Mahavira as all-seeing. The Sutrakritangaelaborates the concept as all-knowing and provides details of other qualities of Mahavira.[22]
For thirty years after gaining omniscience, Mahavira travelled throughout in India to teach his philosophy. According to the Jain tradition, Mahavira had 14,000 ascetics, 36,000 nuns, 159,000 sravakas (laymen) and 318,000 sravikas (laywomen) as his followers.[32][33] Some of the royal followers included King Srenika (popularly known asBimbisara) of Magadha, Kunika of Anga and Chetaka of Videha.[28][34]
Moksha (Nirvāṇa)
See also: Moksha (Jainism) and Diwali (Jainism)
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Jains believe Mahavira attained moksha(liberation from the cycle of birth and death) at the age of seventy-two and his soul is now resting in Siddhashila (adobe of the liberated souls). According to Jain texts, Mahavira attained nirvana (final release) at the town of Pawapuri (now in Bihar).[1][35] On the same day, his chief disciple Gautama Swamiattained omniscience. According to theJinasena's Mahapurana, after the nirvana ofTīrthankaras, heavenly beings perform the funeral rites. According to thePravachanasara, only the nails and hair ofTirthankaras are left behind; the rest of the body is dissolved in the air likecamphor.[36][37] Today, a Jain temple calledJal Mandir stands at the place where Mahavira is believed to have attainedmoksha.[38]
Previous births
Mahavira's previous births are discussed in Jain texts such as the Mahapurana and Tri-shashti-shalaka-purusha-charitra. While a soul undergoes countless reincarnations in the transmigratory cycle of saṃsāra (world), the births of a Tirthankara are reckoned from the time he determined the causes of karma and developed the Ratnatraya. Jain texts discuss twenty-six births of Mahavira before his incarnation as a Tirthankara.[28] Mahavira was born as Marichi, the son of Bharata Chakravartin in one of his previous births.[23]
Historicity
Jaina traditions date Mahavira as living from 599 BC to 527 BC.[1][39] Western historians date Mahavira as living from 480 BC to 408 BC.[40] Some Western scholars suggest Mahavira died around 425 BC.[41] Most modern historians agree he was born at Kundagrama, now Basokund in Muzaffarpur district[17] in the state of Bihar, India.[42]Mahavira is referred as Nigaṇṭha Jñātaputta in Buddhist texts.[14] There is reasonable evidence Mahavira's predecessorParshvanatha was a historical figure.[43]
Teachings
Main article: Jain philosophy
Jain Agamas
Main article: Jain Agamas
Mahavira's teachings were compiled byGautama Ganadhara, the chief disciple of Mahavira. These sacred, canonical scriptures (Agamas) comprised twelve parts and are said to have contained the most comprehensive and accurate description of every branch of learning that one needs to know.[44] The knowledge contained in these scriptures was transmitted orally by the teachers to their disciple saints. According to the Digambaras, Āchārya Bhutabali was the last ascetic who had partial knowledge of the original canon. Later, some learned Āchāryasstarted to restore, compile and write down the teachings of Lord Mahavira that were the subject matter of Agamas.[45] ĀchāryaDharasena, in first century CE, guided twoĀchāryas, Āchārya Pushpadant and ĀchāryaBhutabali, to write down these teachings. The two Āchāryas wrote on palm leaves,Ṣaṭkhaṅḍāgama—among the oldest knownDigambara Jaina texts. Jain Agamas prescribe five major vratas (vows) that both ascetics and householders have to follow.[46] These ethical principles were preached by Mahavira:[47]
- Ahimsa (Non-violence or Non-injury). Mahavira taught that every living being has sanctity and dignity of its own and it should be respected just like one expects their own sanctity and dignity to be respected. In simple words, we should show maximum possible kindness to every living being. Ahimsa is formalised into Jain doctrine as the first and foremost vow. According to the Jain text,Tattvarthasutra: "The severance of vitalities out of passion is injury".
- Satya (Truthfulness)—not to lie or speak what is not commendable.[48] According to the Jain text Sarvārthasiddhi: "that which causes pain and suffering to the living is not commendable, whether it refers to actual facts or not".[49]
- Asteya (Non-stealing), which states one should not take anything if not properly given.
- Brahmacharya (Chastity), which stresses steady but determined restraint over yearning for sensual pleasures.
- Aparigraha (Non-attachment)—non-attachment to both inner possessions (liking, disliking) and external possessions like property.
Mahavira's philosophy has eight cardinal (law of trust), three metaphysical (dravya, Jīva andajiva),[34] and five ethical principles. The objective is to elevate the quality of life.[50]Mahavira said an individual or society should exercise self-restraint to achieve social peace, security and an enlightened society.[51]
Ahiṃsā
Main article: Ahimsa in Jainism
Mahavira preached that ahimsa (non-injury) is the supreme ethical and moral virtue.[52]Mahavira taught that no one likes pain and therefore non-injury must cover all living beings.[53] According to Mahatma Gandhi:
Anekantavada
Main article: Anekantavada
Another fundamental teaching of Mahavira was Anekantavada (pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints).[57] Mahavira employedanekānta to explain Jain philosophical concepts. Taking a relativistic viewpoint, Mahavira is said to have explained the nature of the soul as both permanent from the point of view of underlying substance (nīshyānay) and temporary from the point of view of its modes and modification.[58]
Jaina literature
Biographies
Tiloya-paṇṇatti of Yativṛṣabha discusses almost all of the events connected with the life of Mahavira in a form convenient to memorise.[59] Acharya Jinasena's Mahapurāṇainclude Ādi purāṇa and Uttara-purāṇa. It was completed by his disciple AcharyaGunabhadra in the 8th century. In Uttara-purāṇa the life of Mahavira is described in three parvans (74-76) in 1818 verses.[60]Vardhamacharitra is a Sanskrit kāvya (poem) that describe the life of Mahavira written byAsaga in 853.[61][62][63]
Adoration
- Svayambhustotra by AcharyaSamantabhadra is the adoration of twenty-four Tirthankaras. Its eight shlokas(aphorisms) adore the qualities of Mahavira.[64] One such shloka is:
Influence
Mahavira's teachings influenced many personalities. Rabindranath Tagore wrote:
A major event is associated with the 2,500th anniversary of the Nirvana of Mahavira in 1974. According to Padmanabh Jaini:[68]
In popular culture
Mahavira: The Hero of Nonviolence is an illustrated children’s story based upon the life of Mahavira.[69]
Iconography
Mahavira is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a lion beneath him.[70] Every Tīrthankarahas a distinguishing emblem that allows worshipers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the Tirthankaras.[71] The lion emblem of Mahavira is usually carved below the legs of the Tirthankara. Like all Tirthankaras, Mahavira is depicted with Shrivatsa[note 3] and downcast eyes.[72]
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