Basic Thought Of Bhagwan Mahavir

Author(s): Jaykumar Jalaj
Publisher: Hindi Granth Karyalay

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THE BASIC THOUGHT OF BHAGAVAN MAHAVIR
Nature was in its full bloom, heralding the dawn of an auspicious event....BIRTH. Mahavir was born in the year 599 B.C.E. on Saturday, 19 March (the 13th day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Caitra) at Kundagram, near Vaishali in Bihar. Kundagram was a republic of the Jñatri Kshatriyas.
Mahavir's father, king Siddhartha was the head of the State. His mother Trishala, also called Priyakarini was daughter according to Digambars and, as per Shvetambars sister of Cetak, the famous head of Vaishali Republic and was of the Licchavi clan. On conception of the son in the mother's womb, the treasure and agricultural produce increased in the state. Therefore, the father named the son VARDHAMAN. Then right from childhood, due to purity of thought and his many acts of bravery, young Vardhaman captured the titles of SANMATI and MAHAVIR.
DEMOCRATIC SPIRIT Mahavir inherited from his parents not only the latent impressions of democratic thought, but grew in the openminded environment of the Ganarajya (oligarchic republic), whose government was vested in a senate, composed of the elected resident members and presided over by an officer who had the title of the king. The king used to get this office by election. His election was for a specific term. He chaired the ganaparishad (senate). Decisions of the ganaparishad dictated his governance. In the senate, the rule of quorum was applied. The proposal was read thrice; then it went through the democratic process of discussion, debate and voting. For