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LORD MAHĀVĪRA AND HIS TEACHINGS
K. M. Patel
Many difficulties have to be faced while attempting a sketch of the life of any prophet in India from the historical point of view. In ancient times, factual history was almost non-existent. Luckily information about Lord Mahāvíra's life can be gathered from both Śvetāmbara and Digambara works. Some references to Lord Mahāvīra are present in Acārānga Sutra and Uttarādhyayana Sūtra both of which are accepted as authoritative by the Svetāmbaras. Some information can also be obtained from the Mahāpurāna of the Digambara. References to the life of Lord Mahāvīra are again to be found in Kalpasūtra and Hemcandrācārya's Trşaşțišalākāpuruşacarita. Of the books published by the western scholars William Hicks Sanctuary Vol. II and Stevenson's 'Navatatva' and Kalpasūtra are equally helpful. These, then are the various sources for compiling information about Lord Mahāvīra's Life.
In Kundagrāma, near Vaiśāli, situated in the Videha or the Magadha, in the north, Mahāvīra was born to Trišalādevī, the queen of king Siddhartha in 598 B.C. In Jaina Āgmas he frequently bears the surname of Vaiśālika. His true name, the name by which he was known afterwards, i.e. Vardhamāna indicates how his birth succeeded an abundant prosperity in his father's realm. The queen was a sister of Cetaka who may be called the constitutional king of Vaisāli. Cețaka's daughter Celanā had married Bimbisāra (Srenika), king of Magadha. Thus through his mother Lord Mahāvīra was connected with the ruling dynasty of Magadha. The influence and support of his powerful relatives were of great use to Lord Mahāvīra in spreading and propagating the Jaina Religion. He belonged to the clan of Jõātrkas, who are called Nātrkas in Buddhist works and who were a powerful
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