Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

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hands of cow-herd owners and other ignorant people, all kinds of privations and ill-treatment. It is said that when he was once engrossed in penance, a farmer asked him to look after his cattle and went away to his village for food. On his return, he found his cattle missing. He held the saint responsible for the disappearance of his cattle. He beat him but when he found him unmoved and smiling, he realized his folly and begged for pardon. He would observe fasts for days together as he used to get engrossed in deep meditations. He had acquired full control over his body, mind and speech as he had set upon self-purification, which is a necessary pre-requisite for liberation of the self from the body. He was unmindful of social status and ignored the distinction between the high and the low. Once he accepted food from a girl by name Chandana who was a slave in the house of rich man by name Vrisabhadatta but was pure in heart and conduct. He did this when numerous rich house-holders were eagerly waiting to offer him food. Thus he tried by example to abolish distinction based on birth and status.
He spent twelve years of his life in observing austerities and long spells of deep meditations. He went to Jambhikagrama or modern Jharia in Bihar and took his seat under a sal tree on the bank of the river Rijukula. He became engrossed in Sukla dhyana or lustrous meditation and destroyed the four destructive Karmas: Darsanavaraniya, Jnanavaraniya, Mohaniya and Antaraya. He attained kevala-jnana or Omniscience. It was the 10th day of the bright half of Vaisakha when he attained supreme knowledge and intuition.
When the venerable ascetic Mahavira had become a Jina and Arhat, he was a kevalin, omniscient and comprehending all objects; he knew and saw all conditions of the world, of devas, humans and infernal.
He spent his last rainy season in Pavapuri where on the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartika he breathed his last when he was sitting absorbed in penance early before dawn. He annihilated his aghatiya Karmas and attained Nirvana in the early morning of the Amavasya day, in the month of Kartika in 527 B.C. freeing him from the ties of birth, old-age and death. He became fully liberated and became a Shiddha. The Kings of Kashi, Kosala and Vaisali celebrated the event with illuminations on the first new moon day and said: "Since the light of intelligence is gone, let us take an illumination of material matter". Even to this day, the day is observed as a festival day, a day of illumination, Dipavali. Mahavira delivered his sermons in the language of the people, viz., Ardhamagadhi. His apostle disciples have collected his teachings under twelve titles called the Dvadasangas or the Twelve Scriptures. His message is not one of "empty heart". He emphasized that life had a meaning and could be purposeful only if one lived it with an awareness of its sacred goal. It is a message of hope for a life of piety and love.
Ganadharas (Apostles)
Ganadharas interpreted the principles of Bhagavan Mahavira after he had started preaching his gospel on attaining omniscience. The first scholar to do this work was Indrabhuti
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