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tion, they scratched his flesh, showered dust on him, raised him up and dropped him, or pushed him down from his seat (4).
In many ancient texts of the jainas, we have authentic accounts of Mahavira's fasts when he took no food or water. Once he was on a fast without food and water for 6 months, once for 5 months and 25 days, nine-times for months, twice for 3 months, for two and half months, six times for two months, twice for one and half months, 12 times for 3 days, 229 times for 2 days, and he practised the following pratimas at least once, viz., bhadra, mahabhadra and sarvato bhadra (5). Of the 4515 days of his life as a monk, he spent 4165 days fasting, and he took food and drink only for 350 days. Thus compared to the penances of the other Tirthankaras, his penances were doubtless more severe (6).
BUDDHA'S EXERTION FOR ATTAINING SAMBODHI
Immediately after his initiation, the Buddha spent a week comfortably in a mango grove named Anupiya. Starting from there, he covered a distance of 30 yojanas in a day, and reached Rajagṛha. He went into the city to beg his food. Like a palace at the entry of Dhanapala, the god of Wealth, or a heaven at the entry of Camarendra, the Indra of the Asuras, the city of Rajagraha became delighted at the sight of such a charming monk. The king's officers at once reported about him to the king.
"Your Majesty! A wonderful man is begging in the street of our city. We cannot say if he is a human being, a deva, a naga or a garuda"!
The king came at the roof of his palace and looked at the man. He was himself amazed. His men had not exaggerated. He said to his men,
"You follow this wonderful man. If he be a spirit, he will disappear as soon as he goes out of the city; if a deva, he will fly away through the sky; if a naga, he will craw into the earth; but if he be a human being, he will sit somewhere in order to eat whatever he has got".
