$JES 904 Compendium of Jainism (Jain Academic Bowl Manual 3rd Edition)

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 298

F01 Story - Tirthankars
01 - Bhagwan Mahävir
heavenly god lost the game to prince Vardhaman and offered to carry him on his shoulders. However, as soon as he had the prince on his shoulders, the god assumed a gigantic form. Without any fear, Prince Vardhaman gave a mighty blow on his shoulder with clenched fists. The god could not withstand the blow and, assuming his original form, bowed to the prince and returned to heaven. Indra and all the other heavenly gods hailed the victory of prince Vardhamän and exclaimed that he was "Mahävir", meaning "The Great Hero." When Vardhaman was nine years old, his parents thought that it was time to impart formal education upon him. They wanted him to learn martial arts befitting of a Kshatriya prince, so they decided to send him to school. When Vardhaman went to school he offered his respects to the teacher just like an ordinary child. However, after teaching the first lesson, the teacher realized Vardhaman was more knowledgeable than he was. After this, Vardhamän's schooling ended and he returned to the palace. Renunciation
Preparation for Renunciation As a youth, Prince Vardhamän lived a very simple and disciplined life. Although he wanted to renounce the world in search of eternal happiness, he had already decided not to leave the family while his parents were alive when in his mother's womb. At the age of 28, his parents passed away and he was now ready to take Dikshä. So, he requested permission from his older brother, Nandivardhan. Realizing that his younger brother was not an ordinary person, Nandivardhan requested him to postpone his decision for two years, as he was still grieving for their parents' death. Prince Vardhamän led a very simple life for one year. When he had exactly one more year of a householder's life left, he began donating all of his belongings and wealth to the needy and to those that came to him. Every day he would donate many gold coins, jewels, precious stones, and clothes. This unique and unprecedented charity impressed upon the minds of the people that "Charity is a double blessing - it blesses those who give and as well those who receive". At the end of the year marked by generosity, Prince Vardhaman had attained perfect "Aparigrahatva", freedom from attachments and possessions. He was now fully prepared for the life of a monk. His elder brother made elaborate preparations for the initiation and the country was filled with great excitement. Indra and other heavenly gods participated in the ceremony. Gold and silver pitchers were filled with water from various holy places. The prince was bathed with the holy waters, anointed with perfumed pastes, dressed in royal garments, and decked with precious ornaments. At an auspicious moment on the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Märgashirsh, Prince Vardhamän left the palace forever in a palanquin carried by Indra and the other gods.
Renunciation After alighting from the palanquin, Prince Vardhaman removed all of his garments and ornaments and handed them over to Indra. He stood under an Ashok tree and took the solemn vow of renunciation in the presence of thousands of people. He then plucked all the hair on his head in four handfuls and the hair on his chin and lips in one handful, known as Panchamusthi loch. After solemnly reciting the words, "I bow down to all the liberated souls", Mahavir accepted life-long renunciation. He took the five great vows of non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possession in order to avoid accumulating new karma and to annihilate past karmas. Right after initiation (Dikshä), Mahävir acquired the "ManahParyaya Jnän", knowledge that allowed him to perceive the feelings and thoughts of all living beings.
Rejecting Indra's Protection Bhagawan Mahävir, an embodiment of perfect renunciation, detachment, and Ahimsä, once reached the outskirts of a village named Kurmäragräm. He motionlessly stood under a tree absorbed in deep meditation and observed the vow of silence. A cowherd approached Mahävir and asked him to look after his bullocks while he visited the village, to which Mahävir made no response. On his return, the cowherd found that the bullocks were missing. He asked Bhagawan Mahavir about them but received no reply as Mahävir was still observing the vow of silence. The cowherd searched for his
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Compendium of Jainism - 2015