Jain Journal 1988 07

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

Page 43

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From the life of Mahavira, we know that he spent at least fourteen rainy seasons in Rajagrha and in the suburbs of Nalanda and it shows that the place he loved best was Rajagrha and Nalanda. Naturally he has a good number of followers in this area of South Bihar. He used to stay at Gunasila caitya at Rajagrha, where people gathered to listen to the various discussions on the religious problems. During the 17th year of his ascetic life, when Mahavira arrived at Rajagrha, the town-people assembled there to hear the religious discourse and among them was a very rich merchant of the town, Gobhadra, and his wife Bhadra. He was staunch follower of Jainism and died according to the Jaina ritual after a prolonged fast. His son Salibhadra, who became the wealthiest merchant of Rajagrha, also went to listen to Mahavira and he was so much influenced by the teachings of Mahavira that he abandoned all his wealth and even his thirty-two wives and took dikṣā from Mahavira. Another merchant Dhanya Seth also with all his wives, accepted the twelve vows, and before accepting it, he celebrated a religious festival. He did a lot for the welfare of the followers of this religion. We have references of Mahasataka and his thirteen wives, who not only took the twelve vows from Mahavira,19 but his chief wife, Revati, meditated also without food and drink and attained mokṣa like a true Jaina. Another householder, Kalodayi, asked many questions from Mahavira regarding sins and he became convinced with his replies and ultimately came in the fold of Jainism.
JAIN JOURNAL
We have had evidences regarding Jambukumara, who was the only son of the famous merchant, Rsabhadatta of Rajagrha. He had led the army of Srenika and had won many battles for the king. After the death of Srenika he left his house and took dikṣä from Sudharma Svami with Prabhava and his five hundred followers. He later on became the head of the Jaina church and remained at this post for 38 years.20
The present areas of Vaisali and Mithila were very much under the influence of the teachings of Mahavira. The Buddhist text Vinayapiṭaka makes mentions of the Lichhavi general, Siha, or Simha, who was a follower of Mahavira, but was later on, converted to the Buddhist faith.21 Saccaka was also a Nigantha, who challenged Buddha in a discussion on philosophical tenets before the assembly of five hundred Lichhavis.22 Such instances in Buddhist works point out to the great influence of Mahavira on the life of the people in Vaisali during the life time of
1 Uvasagadasao, vv. 231-266.
20 J. P. Jain, Jain Purus aur Mahilayen, pp. 26-28.
21 Anguttara Nikaya, II. 190 ff; Samyutta Nikaya, vv. 389-90.
22 Majjhima Nikaya, vv. 227-37; Jain Antiquary, Vol. X No. 1, p. 17.