Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c5.s1.1

c5.s1.1

Pāsa or Pārsvanātha, who was the immediate predecessor of Mahāvīra, is said to have flourished some 250 years before the advent of the latter. He was born in Vārānasi (Benares) and was the son of the king Asasena by his queen Vāmā. He lived thirty years as a lay man, and after leading a life of an ascetic for seventy years, attained salvation at the mountain Sammeya³. Pārsvanātha is said to have visited a number of cities, the prominent among which were Ahicchatta⁴, Āmalakappā,⁵ Sāvatthi, Hatthināpura, Kampillapura, Sāgeya,⁶ Rāyagiha and Kosambi.⁷ He was known as Purisādāniya (purisājāniya in Pali)⁸ or the distinguished man⁹.