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LIFE OF BHAGAWAN MAHAVIR
these conditions. Chandanbälä, a princess sold as a slave, shackled and shaved by the jealous wife of a rich merchant fulfilled all the conditions except tears in her eyes. Bhagawan Mahävir turned his face away at the last moment without accepting her humble alms. This made Chandanbälä weep and the last condition being realized Bhagawan Mahävir accepted the alms.
While going for alms, he entered the house of a rich merchant named Siddhartha, who was sitting in the company of an eminent physician named Kharak. The physician immediately realized from the facial expression of Bhagawan Mahävir that he was suffering from some acute pain. With great difficulty Mahävir was persuaded to undergo the operation. He was made to sit in a basin filled with oil, given a massage and then the pegs were removed by means of pincers. The pain was so excruciating that even Bhagawan Mahävir cried out in agony.
The last Calamity: Nails in his ears
3.4 Keval-jnän and Nirvana
Once on the outskirts of the village Chhammani, Bhagawan Mahävir was standing absorbed in deep meditation. A cowherd left his oxen near him and asked him to keep an eye on them. When he returned, he did not find the cattle and so he inquired about the missing cattle. When he received no reply to his persistent queries, he became furious and plugged hard grass pegs in the ears of Bhagawan Mahävir. Mahävir bore all the pain patiently. From there, Bhagawan Mahävir went to Pävä.
Mahävir-swami practiced severe austerities and deep meditation for a periodoftwelve and a half years. During this period, he resided in parks, forests and deserted places, and bore all the obstacles and tortures patiently and bravely. He observed fasts from a single day to up to six months. He had now reached the highest stage of meditation. He reached the village Jambhikä and stayed on the banks of the river Rujubälukä. At that time, he was observing a fast of two days. In order to annihilate the lingering remnants of the destructive Karma Bhagawan Mahävir sat down in the 'cow-milking' posture. His mind was absorbed in the highest type of meditation, and by destroying all his Ghäti Karma completely; he attained absolute knowledge on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha. He became omniscient, comprehending and visualizing everything in the whole universe. Being free from all Ghäti Karma, he now became an Arihanta.
Thorns being hammered into Bhagawan Mahavir's ears and
then being removed by Kharak
THE FIRST STEP OF JAINISM
Laineli
