Jain Journal 2002 10

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

Page 15

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XXXVII, NO. 2 OCT. 2002
life. He visited important places like Käsi. Kosala. Vatsa, Campā, Pāñcāla, Magadha, Rājagrha, Anga, Vanga, Kalinga and many others. The Jaina canonical literatures has detailed descriptions of the wanderings of Mahavira and the transformation of the people based on his noble teachings. Thousands of people from various cities and villages and from different walks of life joined the religious order of Mahāvīra.
Bimbisāra, the king of Magadh, was a Buddhist, but his Oucen was a great devotee of Mahāvīra. We tind a vivid description of the dialogue between Binbisāra and Anathimuni in the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra, which inspired the king to become a disciple of Mahāvīra as well. His son and minister, Abhayakuināra, was also an ardent disciple of Mahāvīra. Cetaka, the head of Vaisali republic and maternal uncle of Mahāvīra, greatly contributed in propagating the Jaina religion far and wide. Many kings, such as Virangada, Vīrayasa, Sanjaya. Seya, Siva, Udrāyana and Sankha Käsivardhana joined the religious order of Mahāvīra.
The last lap of the great wanderings of Mahāvīra was Pāvā. He came here at the age of seventy-two and stayed in the garden of Rājā Hastipāla. His discourses at Pāvā are recorded in the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra. Here he sat for his last mcditation on a slab of stone. It was in the carly hours of the fifteenth day of dark fortnight of Kärttika month in 527 B.C. transcending the wandering cycle of birth and death, this hero of the spirit attained the state of Nirvāna and became Siddha.
"And on that night during which the venerable ascetic Mahāvīra attained Nirvāna, the cightcen confederate Kings of Kasi and Kosala, the Mallas and Licchavis instituted an illumination with lighted lamps for they said, since the internal (bhava) light (of intelligence) is gone, let us make an illumination with the external (draiya) light (of malter)." (Kalpa-sūtra, 127)
Bhagavati. Aupapātika, Trişastisalākāpurusa. Ilarivansa Purana.