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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c5.s3: Mahāvīra

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c5.s3

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Mahāvīra

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After Pārśva Mahāvīra became the leader of the Jain community. He was born in Khattiyakundaggāma, a suburb of Vaisālī, in the house of king Siddhattha by his queen Tisalā. Mahāvīra retired from the world at the age of thirty and leading a life of severe asceticism, attained *kevalinship* on the bank of the river Ujjuvāliyā near the town of Jambhiyagāma. Mahāvīra roamed about as a *Tīrthankara* for thirty years, and at the age of seventy-two, after two hundred and fifty years of Pārśva's death, died in Pāvā about 467 B.C.⁵⁰

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⁵⁰ According to Muni Kalyan Vijaya, Mahāvīra attained liberation in 528 B.C. after fourteen years of Buddha's *Parinirvāna*. For his learned article "Vira Nirvāna Samvat aur Kāl gananā," see N. P. Patrikā, Vols. X-XI; also see Jacobi's article "Buddhas und Mahāvīras Nirvāna" etc. a Gujarati translation of which is published in the *Bhartiya Vidyā*, Singhi Smāraka, also Schubring, *op. cit.*, pp. 5, 30, also Keith's article in the *Bull School of Or. Studies* 6, 859-866

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During his *Tīrthankara* career Mahāvīra travelled a number of places and ordained various kings, princes, tradesmen and high officials. Like Pārśva, he too divided his community (*sangha*) into four orders, viz., monks, nuns, lay men and lay women, each *sangha* consisting of a super-monk. Goyama Indabhūi and Candanā were Mahāvīra's first male and female disciples respectively. Mahāvīra exercised his influence in various royal families, and the kings Cetaka,⁵¹ Seniya,⁵² Kūṇiya,⁵³ Udayana,⁵⁴ Dadhivāhana,⁵⁵ Pajjoya⁵⁶ and others are said to have become his great devotees. Mahāvīra is also said to have ordained the kings Uddāyana⁵⁷ of Sindhusovīra, Siva⁵⁸ of Hatthināpura, Sāla and Mahāsāla⁵⁹ of Pitthicampā, Cilāya⁶⁰ of Kodivarisa and others. Among women from the royal families, Jayantī⁶¹ and Miyāvai of Kosambī, eight queens of Pajjoya including Angāravatī,⁶² and ten queens of Seniya including Kālī⁶³ are stated to be prominent. Among princes may be mentioned Mehakumāra,⁶⁴ Nandisena,⁶⁵ Abhayakumāra,⁶⁶ Halla, Vihalla⁶⁷ and others.

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⁵¹ *Āva Cū* II, p 164

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⁵² *Uttarā.* 20, *Dasā* 10, *Āva Cū* p. 114.

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⁵³ *Ovā. Sū.* 12

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⁵⁴ *Bhag* 12. 2

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⁵⁵ *Āva. Cū* II, p 207

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⁵⁶ *Āva. Cū.* p 401

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⁵⁷ *Bhag.* 13 6

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⁵⁸ *Ibid.*, II, 9.

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⁵⁹ *Uttarā. Tī* 10, p 153 a

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⁶⁰ *Āva. Nir* 1305

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⁶¹ *Bhag.* 12, 2.

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⁶² *Āva. Cū.* p 91

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⁶³ *Antagada.* 7, p. 44.

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⁶⁴ *Nāyā.* 1.

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⁶⁵ *Āva. Cū.* P. 559 f

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⁶⁶ *Ibid.*, p. 115.

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⁶⁷ *Ibid.*, II, p. 174.

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During the life time of Mahāvīra, Jainism could make only a small headway and it does not seem to have spread beyond the boundaries of Aṅga and Magadha where the Teacher principally dwelt and preached but later on, after the death of Mahāvīra, his followers and successors succeeded in popularising the faith to a much greater degree, so that it did not fail to enjoin the support of kings as well as commoners.

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