________________
190
devala; but before he could do so, the Buddha's feet touched the matted hairs of the monk. For, the Buddha is supposed not to bow before anyone. We read of no comparable inci. dent in the life of Mahāvira; but the Tirthankarás too are governed by a similar rule, viz., that they bow before none(3).
Mahavira as a child was taken care of by five trained nurses. They had different assignments like cleaning the boy, dressing him, feeding him, carrying him on the lap, etc. The Buddha as a child was taken care of by dirtfree nurses.
Neither Mahāvira nor the Buddha had formal schooling in crafts, grammar, etc. Mahavira came to the school for a day when he displayed his profound enlightenment by solving the most difficult questions on grammar put to him by no less a person than the Indra. In the case of the Buddha, we have it that one day, he demonstrated his craftmanship in an assembly of technicians.
Mahavira started his married life on maturity ( this is not accepted by the Digambaras, as already stated); whereas the Buddha did the same when he was sixteen. The Jātaka narrates his affluence by stating of his three palaces, one being his winter resort, another his summer resort, and the third one his resort during the rainy season. In the Jaina tradition, Mahavira's palaces have been described as 'wide and vast' (u na and vipula) (4). We have it from other sources that in those days, the affluent people had several mans ions which they used during different seasons, and as the seasons changed, they moved from one mansion to the other (5).
For the Buddha's enjoyment, there is mention of ,000 dancing girls.
When the time for his initiation had come, the Lokantika gods came to Mahavira and reminded him of his great mission; in the case of the Buddha, this purpose is served by the sight of an old man, an ail ing man, a corpse and a monk. On the attainment of Enlightenment (Bohi) by the Buddha, Sahampati Brahmā arrived and requested him to introduce the wheel of Religion (dhar ma-cakra) for the good of the world(6). Before his initiation, Mahāvira gave in
