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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
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moaning could be heard everywhere. There was not a single human being left that did not feel the effect of this worldwide unhappiness, and at the same time there was not a single soul to whom he could express his physical and mental affliction with the hope of lightening it. For, those very people who were once cent percent in favour of non-violence and kindness to animals had become strong supporters of violence and slaughter in that age. The spiritual life of the society had come to an end. Asceticism disappeared. Spiritualism was forgotten, and its place was taken by worship of the Goddess of wealth and material happiness. The strength of all the religious creeds proved futile in relieving human society of the most grievous calamity that it was passing through. What was urgently needed at this time was real sympathy, unselfish love, and genuine kindness to all living beings. When the fire of dishonesty, oppression and faithlessness was burning most fiercely all round and was scorching humanity with its far reaching blazes, and when selfishness was playing its most hideous part, it was highly desired that a high soul should arrive upon earth to remove the perversity from this world, to establish peace in every home, to enforce truth into the veins of men and, above all to lead the mistaken people to the right path of self realisation.
Everything in this Finite world is liable to decay. What is born is sure to die. Death lives in birth and destruction in the creation of every visible object. And as such, the miserable condition of men described above could not last long; it was sure to change one day. Better days came and a celestial being descended upon this earth. It was none other than Lord Mahavira. The first thing that he did was to make
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