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CHAPTER II.
Mahavira and Buddha two distinct historical personages. Mahavira, the reputed founder of Jainism was the younger son of Sidharta, the rajah of Kundanpura or Kundagrama, and was born in or about 599 B. c. Sidharta was not a great king, the position he held may be fitly compared to that of the semi-independent German princes of the 18th Century. Kundagrama was as Professor Jacobi proves, very likely a suburb of Vaisâli, the capital of Videha (Vaisali is the modern Besarh about 27 miles froin Patna ). Mahavira's mother Trishala was a sister of Kataka, who may be called the constitutional king of Vaisali, as the Government of Vaisali was vested in a senate of which he was the hereditary president, sharing his authority with a viceroy and a general-in-chief. Through his mother, Mahavira was connected with the ruling dynasty of Magada, Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com
