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for his strictly adhering to the rules of penance, and no less for his indifference to pleasure and pain.
The Buddhists, on the other hand, know him by the name of Nigantha Nățaputta. This was undoubtedly the name by which he was known to his other contemporaries. At the very face of it, this name is composed of two distinct epithets, the first of which is religious and the other secular. He was a Nigantha (Nirgrantha) in a literal as well as in a figurative sense-outwardly unclothed and inwardly free from worldly bonds and ties. His followers, accordingly, came to be known as Nirgranthas, and lay-followers as Nigrantha-śrāvakas or Šramanopāsakas. He was called Nātaputta because he was a scion of the Nāta clan.
He was also called Jina i.e. the conqueror of the karmasthe greatest enemies of the soul, and from this appellation Jainism derives its name. Mahāvīra's aversions to love and hatred earned for him the appellation of Śramaņa or recluse. He is also called Vira, Ativira, Sanmati, Siddha, Mukta, and by a host of other names in the later Jaina literature.
All these are clearly qualitative names, that is to say, they are meant to draw our attention to certain qualities possessed by Mahāvira. Early Life
The facts of the early life of Mahāvīra are very few indeed as gleaned in early works. But the later accounts have connected him with certain anecdotes, myths and miracles. Here is one, illustrative of his supreme valour :
"One day, while playing with his friends in the garden of his father, Mahāvīra saw an elephant which was mad with fury with juice flowing from his temples, rushing towards them. His companions--all boys, shocked and frightened on the sight of the impending danger, deserted their comrade and ran away. Without losing a moment, Mahāvīra made up his mind to face the danger
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| SR No. | 525030 |
| Book Title | Sramana 1997 04 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Ashok Kumar Singh |
| Publisher | Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi |
| Publication Year | 1997 |
| Total Pages | 228 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Sramana, & India |
| File Size | 10 MB |