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14 as his cousin (Kataka's daughter) had mar. ried Seniya Bimbisara, king of Magada. The influence and support of his powerful relatives were of great rise to Mahavira in spreading and propagating his religion. Mahavira lived with his father, till the latter's death, when with the consent of his elder brother, Nandivardhana, who had suo. ceeded to his father's principality, he entered the spiritual career which seemed to offer a good field for the younger sons of nobility. When he became an ascetic he was about 28 years old. For 12 years he practised self-mortification, at the end of which period he was acknowledged to be a Kevalin i. e., a holy and omniscient person. Besides being called Kevalin, the titles of Jina i. e. the spiritual conqueror, (from which word Jain and Jainism are derived ) Mahavira i.o, the great Hero and Tirthakara i. e, showing the right path or leader of a School of thougtat, were given to him. The last thirty years of his life Mahavira spent in teaching his Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com
