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LIFE OF BHAGAWÄN MAHAVIR
cloth called Devadusya on his left shoulder. Right after initiation (Dikshä) Bhagawan Mahävir acquired the Manah-Paryaya Jnän' knowledge that allowed him to perceive the feelings and thoughts of all living beings.
received no reply as Mahävir was observing the vow of silence. The cowherd searched for his bullocks throughout the night, but failed to locate them. In the morning he returned to the same spot and found the bullocks seated by the side of the standing saint. Thinking that Bhagawan Mahävir was a thief in disguise, he became furious and rushed towards Mahävir, with the intention of thrashing him with his whip. Indra, however, intervened and explained to him that the saint is not an ordinary wandering mendicant, but prince Vardhamän, son of king Siddhartha, who had recently accepted initiation.
Indra asked Mahävir if he could provide protection. Mahävir replied in all humility that an ascetic on a spiritual path reaches his goal of purity with the help of his own practice, courage, and discipline. It
Taking the vow of renunciation in the presence of the people.
Mahavir plucking his hair and Indra collecting them
Rejecting Indra's Protection
Bhagawan Mahävir, an embodiment of perfect renunciation, detachment, and Ahimsä, once reached the outskirts of a village named Kurmäragräm. He stood under a tree motionless and absorbed in deep meditation. A cowherd approached Mahävir and asked him to look after his bullocks while he visited the village. On his return the cowherd found that the bullocks were missing. He asked Bhagawan Mahävir but
The furious cowherd is ready to use his whip on Mahavir
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THE FIRST STEP OF JAINISM
ratione
