Heart of Jainism

Author(s): Mrs Sinclair Stevenson
Publisher: Mrs Sinclair Stevenson

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THE LIFE OF MAHĀVIRA lived the ordinary life of a happy boy, watched over by the innumerable servants that seem inseparable from Indian life, but enjoying to the full “the noble fivefold joys and pleasures of sound, touch, taste, colour and smell'.
Both sects delight to tell of his boyish prowess and of how easily he excelled all his companions in strength and physical endurance, as he did in beauty of mind and body. One day, they say, the sons of his father's ministers had come as usual to play with him in the royal gardens, when suddenly a mad elephant charged down on the group of children, who fled hither and thither in their efforts to escape. Mahāvīra, however, quietly went up to the infuriated animal, caught it by its trunk, and climbing up on it, escaped being trodden by its feet by riding on its back!
Another legend tells how, when he was playing with the same children at āmbali pipaļī (a sort of 'tick' or 'tig ') among the trees, a god appeared and thought to frighten the child by carrying him high up into the sky on his shoulders. Mahāvira, however, was not in the least alarmed, and, seizing the opportunity to show his superiority over immortals, whacked the god and pulled his hair so hard, that he was only too ready to descend and get rid of his obstreperous burden. The child who had thus defeated one of their number was called Mahāvīra by the other gods -a name mortals were quick to adopt.
According to the Svetāmbara tradition Mahāvīra married a lady called Yaśodā (belonging to the Kauņdinya gotra), and a daughter was born to them named Anujā (Anojjā) or Priyadarśanā. This daughter eventually married a nobleman called Jamāli, who, after becoming one of Mahāvīra's followers and fellow workers, ended by opposing him. Their child (Mahāvira's granddaughter) had two names, being known both as Seśavati and Yašovati.
He had five nurses: a wet nurse, a nurse to wash him, one to dress him, one to play with him, and one to carry him.