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66
History of Jainism with Special Reference to Mathurā
texts like Uttara Purana, Vardhamāncarita and Trisastiśalākāpurusacarita yield abundant material regarding his life.125 Passages in some old Jaina canonical works, 126 and Buddhist scriptures also provide valuable hints about his life.127
Mahāvīra was born at Kundagrāma, a suburb of Vaiśālī, now called Basukunda,128 in 599 BC. 129 He belonged to the Nāya clan which is known as Nāta in Pali and Jñātri in Sanskrit.130 His father Siddhartha was a wealthy ksatriya nobleman,131 head of a warrior clan called the Jñātrkas. 132 and also chief of Kundapura.133 Mahāvīra's mother Trisalā, 134 a ksatriya lady,135 also called Priyakāriņī, 136 was the sister of Cetaka, an eminent Licchavi prince of Vaiśālī.137
According to the Jaina tradition, Siddhārtha and Trisalā had one daughter and two sons, the younger of whom was named Vardhamāna. 138 We learn from the Kalpasūtra 139 and Trisastišalākāpurusacarita 140 that Mahāvīra's original name was Vardhamāna. The tale that Mahāvīra was conceived by a brāhmana lady named Devānandā, and that his embryo was
125. JI, p. 86. 126. CHI, I, p. 157. 127. Ibid. 128. Ibid.; AOIU, p. 413; JAA, I, p. 22. 129. CUHI, I, p. 220; JSS, p. 20; JSAI, p. 53; JAA, I, p. 22. 130. AOIU, p. 413. 131. Ibid., CHI, I, p. 157. 132. CHI, I, p. 157. 133. AAHI, p. 84. 134. Ibid.; AOIU, p. 413; CHI, I, p. 157. 135. AAHI, p. 84. 136. ACHI, p. 101; JSAI, p. 34. 137. AOIU, p. 413; CHI, I, p. 157. 138. CHI, I, p. 157. 139. Ibid.; JSS, p. 20 fn. 7. 140. TSPC, VI, p. 34.
