Shree Mahavir Swami
24th Jain Tirthankar
During Bhagavan Parshvanatha time the feudal system of rule was prevailing in India. After he attained, Nirvana equality surfaced, and Vaishali became the capital of the federation of small republics. The King Siddharth and Queen Trishala Devi ruled the kingdom of Vaishali.
The Queen once dreamt about fourteen things in her dreams and augured the birth of a Tirthankara.
Usually, there are 72 auspicious dreams. 42 represents standard benefits, and 30 represents enormous advantages. 14 out of this 30 are extremely beneficial and confirms the birth of a Tirthankara. Lord Mahavira will become a Tirthankar as 12 Chakravarthi’s were already born.
A Tirthankara is a person who is blessed to attain a highly elevated status in their incarnation. Because of their passionate religious practices during their several births, they achieve the Tirthankara name and gotra karma. With such a supreme power they can see past, present and future. They help people to achieve liberation by preaching self-realization.
Lord Mahavira was the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Jain Religion. He was the last Tirthankara of the present age of Avsarpini fifth Ara.
Most of the Tirthankara idols look the same. Jain religion did not focus on the physical appearance, but their attributes. Every Tirthankara was represented by a symbol and that is present at the bottom of each Tirthankara to differentiate one from the other.
Lord Mahavira – Previous Births
During his 27th life, Mahavira was born as an elderly village person by name Nayasar. He was straightforward and kind. He offered service to some ascetics and obtained their blessings. From then he was always embraced by ascetic thoughts in all his incarnations.
He was reincarnated as God in the Saudharm dimensions. Then was reborn as the son of Bharat and was named as Marichi. Bharat was the son the first Tirthankara Rishabhdeva. Marichi tried to follow his grandfather’s principles. Jain philosophy believed that Rishabhdeva augured that Marichi will become the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. On knowing this, ego embraced Marichi and for the next twelve births, he was born and reborn. Since he practiced real spiritual penances all through his twelve births his soul obtained the Tirthankara Nam Karma.
His sixteenth birth was as Prince Vishvabhuti. He was then born as a God in the Mahashakra dimension. In the next incarnation, he was born as first Vasudev Triprishtha. During that birth, he attacked many kingdoms and won over three continents. This gave him birth in the lower domain for his next few births.
His twenty-third birth was again as a Prince. Prince Priyamitra was bold and intelligent; he became the Chakravarthy after conquering all the six continents. Then he decided and embraced ascetic life and obtained Diksha from Potillacharya. This time he washed away all his evil karmas.
After reincarnated as God in the Mahashukra dimension his soul was born as Prince Nandan of Chhatranagari. Again he embraced an ascetic life. He was born one more time as God in a particular dimension. Finally, his soul entered the womb of Trishala Devi and was born as Lord Mahavira.
Birth and Early Childhood of Lord Mahavira
During Bhagavan Parshvanatha time the feudal system of rule was prevailing in India. After he attained, Nirvana equality surfaced, and Vaishali became the capital of the federation of small republics. The King Siddharth and Queen Trishala Devi ruled the kingdom of Vaishali.
The Queen once dreamt about fourteen things in her dreams and augured the birth of a Tirthankara.
Usually, there are 72 auspicious dreams. 42 represents standard benefits, and 30 represents enormous advantages. 14 out of this 30 are extremely beneficial and confirms the birth of a Tirthankara. Lord Mahavira will become a Tirthankar as 12 Chakravarthi’s were already born.
On the thirteenth day of the waxing moon of the Chaitra month, a boy baby was born to the Queen. Knowing this, all the Gods headed by God Shakrendra came to show their respect to the mother of the child, the Queen Trishala Devi. Across the kingdom, there was a joy. King named the child as Vardhaman meaning ever increasing. Because, the king felt that the wealth, power and pleasure increased since the formation of the baby in the Queen’s womb.
Even as a child Vardhaman was tested by God on many occasions. But every time he proved his intelligence. His answers to questions asked by Indra are collected in the Aindra Vyadaran book.
Vardhaman lived a simple, calm and detached life. He married Yashoda due to the push from his parents. He had a baby girl named Priyadarshana.
Lord Mahavira – Ascetic Life
Vardhaman was least interested in the worldly affairs. He respected elders and lived in the kingdom till his parents were alive. When both gave up their corporeal body, he decided to leave the country to embrace Asceticism.
His elder brother Nandivardhan became the king after his father died. Upon his brother’s request, Vardhaman lived in the kingdom for two years. He led an ascetic life. Then on the tenth day of the waning moon of the Margashirsh month under an Ashoka tree Vardhaman embraced an ascetic life.
He wandered and practised spiritual penance. He encountered many incidents, and finally, all surrendered at his foot. He was a Keval Gyani (one who knows the past, present and future) and hence he was aware that all happenings are due to his past karmas.
One day when he was sitting under a tree he had witnessed ten weird things in his vision.
Ten and Scenes and their interpretations
| S.no | Scene | Interpretation |
| 1 | Conquer a Tal demon | Mahavira will at once destroy illusory Karma |
| 2 | A bird with white feathers | Mahavira will have pure feelings |
| 3 | A multicoloured bird | Mahavira will spread multifaceted knowledge via 12 Angas |
| 4 | Two gem strings | 2-way religion Mahavira will preach (ascetics and laity) |
| 5 | White cow herd | all four organization will help Mahavira. (Shraman, Shramani, Shravak, Shravika) |
| 6 | Open lotus in pond | All four dimension god will help Mahavira |
| 7 | Crossing a milk ocean | Mahavira will cross the ocean of birth and death cycle |
| 8 | Sun rays spread across everywhere | Mahavira will attain Nirvana |
| 9 | Manushittar mountain is encircled with Mahavira’s blue colored intestines | Mahavira will encompass the universe |
| 10 | Mahavira sitting on a throne in Meru mountain | Mahavira will give speeches from high mountains |
He practiced spiritual penance for twelve years. Find below the four divisions of his penance
- 1. Painstaking Penance
- 2. Intense Forbearance Of Pain
- 3. Profound And Serene Meditation
- 4. Ultimate Calmness
He attained omniscience on the tenth day of the waxing moon of the Vaisakh month under sal tree on the back of Rijubaluka River.
Nirvana
He began his journey of spreading Jain tenets to his disciples. For consecutive thirty years, Lord Mahavira dedicated himself in the upliftment of the people. Many individuals from a different walk of life followed his path of renunciation.
On the fifteenth day of the waning moon Kartik month, after giving his last speech Samavasaran he attained Nirvana.
Lord Mahavira’s Accomplishments
- He was against animal sacrifice and preached ahimsa.
- He did not allow caste and gender to be a barrier to perform any action. He treated all people equally and gave the opportunity to all.
- He preferred Moral and ethical values over the social and physical differences.
- He spoke in the local language and avoided speaking in Sanskrit to help every community to understand Jain principles quickly.
- He exhorted people for spiritual development.
Temples Built for Lord Mahavira in India
- Rajasthan
- Sawai Madhopur – Digambar Jain Atishaya Kshetra Mahavir Mandir
- Mount Abu – Dilwara Temple
- Karauli – Mahavira Temple
- Jodhpur – Jain Mahavira Temple
- Karnataka – Bengaluru City – Mahavira Swamy Digambar Jain Temple, D.K.Lane
- Bihar – Pavapuri – Mahavir Jain Temple
- Andhra Pradesh – Warangal – Mahavir Jain Mandir
Conclusion
Lord Mahavira’s symbol is a lion. He mainly focused on achieving liberation. He taught people about self-realisation and helped them to attain freedom from birth and death cycle.
Three Conducts he taught were
- Samyak Charitra(Right Conduct)
- Samyak Darshan(Right Vision)
- Samyak Gyan(Right Knowledge)
Five grand declarations he made were
- Aparigraha(Detachment)
- Brahmacharya(chastity)
- Asteya(non-theft)
- Sathya(honesty)
- Ahimsa (non-violence)
The night Mahavira attained Nirvana is celebrated as Deepavali by the Jain people.
| Father: | Siddharatha |
|---|---|
| Mother: | Trishala (Priyakarni) |
| Dynasty: | Ikshvaku |
| Birth: | Kundalagrama near Vaishali |
| Nirvana: | Pavapuri |
| Colour: | Yellow |
| Symbol: | Lion  |
| Height: | 7 hands or cubits |
| Age: | 72 years |
| Yaksha: | Matang |
| Yaksini: | Siddhayika |
