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53 / जैनों का संक्षिप्त इतिहास, दर्शन, व्यवहार एवं वैज्ञानिक आधार
The biggest one of six months less by five days, of four months (in six times) 11⁄2 months two times, of one month 12 times, fortnightly 72 times. (Even present day there are cases of similar fasting on some lesser scale). The severe most and the longest fast he undertook of 175 days was to deliver the rulers of their lust of war, keeping persons in bondage, including young girls as slaves, plundering, irrespective of close relations. One immediate instance was such heinous actions of the king Kākmuk Shatānik of Kaushambi subjecting the ruler Dadhivan and subjects of Champa to all these atrocities, including abducting the beautiful queen and the princess Chandan Bala.
Mahaveer would go for alms from door to door but as per his vow would not accept. Only when such ordeal lasted for long 175 days and nights and could be found one slave girl chained in the dark dingy underground room at its door-way, eager to make offerings of the coarse boiled grains from a winnower. Considering all the conditions of vow (Abhigrah) fulfilled, taking it as divine dispensation Mahaveer accepted the alms.
In the long arduous process of penance he also forged the powers of soul over body. In the quest of his liberation, he equally dedicated himself for freedom of women and slaves and without that it was not worth it. So also when he was on the verge of attaining omniscience the extremes of physical sufferings alongwith the rigorous course of fasting and meditation, he underwent. One cowherd seemingly entrusted his pair of bullock, while he was in deep contemplation. On return of the cowherd, not finding his bullock, he felt exasperated, sought angrily his
