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bly hall. He ordered the celebration of sthiti-patita (a celebration at child birth) for 10 days with pomp and grandeur. On the third day, Mahavira was exposed to the moon and the sun. On the sixth day, there was a complete vigil at night and people of the royal household did not sleep during that night. The naming ceremony took place on the twelfth day. On that day, King Siddhartha invited all his friends, relatives. kinsmen. officers and slaves and entertained them at a great banquet, and gave them clothes and ornaments. Addressing his guests, the royal host said.
"Ever since the boy has come into the family, we are passing through a period of unusual growth of wealth, grains. treasures, granaries, man-power, kinsmen and territory. So I suggest that he may be named Vardhamana (ever-growing). 11
The proposal was unanimously approved. Thus Mahāvīra was named Vardhamana (by his parents). Later, after he had entered into a hard life of penances. and remained unshaken in the midst of unbearable. terrific and dreaadul hardships, the gods named him Mahavira (the great hero). by which name he became famous.
Childhood Mahavira's childhood was spent like that of any other prince in the midst on plenty and pleasures. He had five trained maids to look after him. They had their duties carefully assigned, and they performed them carefully at proper hour. The duties included feeding, washing, dressing, playing and carrying on the lap, Mahavira was not fond of games and plays. But still he played sometimes in the palace garden in the company of his peers. Once when he was less than 8 years of age, he was playing a gq a game called samkuli. In this game, the target was a tree at which all the boys ran. On reaching the tree, they were required to climb up and get down. One who completed the process in the minimum time was declared to be the most successful. Other participants would then carry him on their shoulders to the place wherefrom the race had started.
Once pointing to Mahavira who was at play, Sakra, the Indra of the gods, said in the assembly of gods,
"Though a child, Mahavira is very powerful and brave. None, not even an Indra, a god or a demon, can defeat him. "
