Jain Journal 1974 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 74

212
JAIN JOURNAL
It goes without saying that the Tirthakaras, except the two last, belong to mythology rather than to history; the 22nd, Aristanemi, is connected with the legend of Krsna as his relative. But the details of Mahavira's life as related in the canonical books may be regarded on the whole as historical facts.
He was a Ksatriya of the Jnata clan and a native of Kundagrama, a suburb of the town Vaisali (the modern Basarh, some 27 miles north of Patna). He was the second son of the Ksatriya Siddhartha and Trisala, a highly connected lady. The Svetambaras maintain, and thus it is stated in the Acārārga Sutra, the Kalpa Sūtra, etc., that the soul of the Tirthakara first descended into the womb of the Brahmani Devananda, and was, by the order of Indra, removed thence to the womb of Trisala.17 But the Digambaras reject this story. His parents, who were pious Jainas and worshippers of Parsva, gave him the name Vardhamana (Vira or Mahavira is an epithet used as a name ; Arhat, Bhagavat, Jina, etc., are titles common to all Tirthakaras). He married Yasoda and by her had a daughter Anojja. His parents died when he was 30 years old, and his elder brother Nandivardhana succeeded his father in whatever position he had held. With the permission of his brother and the other authorities, he carried out a long cherished resolve and became a monk with the usual Jaina rites. Then followed 12 years of self-mortification ; Mahavira wandered about as mendicant friar, bearing all kinds of hardships ; after the first 13 months he even discarded clothes. At the end of this period dedicated to meditation, he reached the state of omniscience (Kevala), corresponding to the Bodhi of the Buddhists. He lived for 42 years more, preaching the law and instructing his 11 disciples (Ganadhara) : Indrabhuti, Agnibhuti Vayubhuti, Arya Vyakta, Arya Sudharman, Manditaputra, Mauryaputra, Akampita, Acalabhrata, Metarya and Prabhasa. In the 72nd year of his life he died at Pava, and reached Nirvāna. This event took place, as stated above, some years before Buddha's death, and may, therefore, be placed about 480 B.C. The Svetambaras, however, place the Nirvāna of Mahavira, which is the initial point of their era, 470 years before the beginning of the Vikrama era, or in 527 B.C.18 The Digambaras place the same event 18 years later. 16 Kundaggama and Vaniyaggama, both suburbs of Vesali, have been identified
by Hoernle (loc. cit., p. 4, note 8) with the modern villages Baniya and Basukund. 17 Cf. the transfer of the embryo of Baladeva from the womb of Rohini to that of
Devaki, whence he got the name Samkarsana, still retaining the metronymic
Rauhineya. 18 In the Preface to his ed. of the Parisista Parvan (Bibl. Ind., Calcutta, 1891), p. 4 ff.,
the present writer criticises the Svetambara tradition, and, by combining the Jaina date of Candragupta's accession to the throne in 155 after the Nirvana with the historical date of the same event in 321 or 322 B.C., arrives at 476 or 477 B. C. as the probable date of Mahavira's Nirvana.