Jain Oceans Drop

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 21

GLIMPSES OF BHAGAWAN MAHAVEER'S GLORIOUS LIFE AND
IMPORTANCE OF HIS BIRTH CELEBRATIONS: "JANMA KALYANAKA" (14)
Birth of a TIRTHANKARA (Bhagawan Mahaveer was 24th in preset Circle of time) brings welfare, peace, prosperity, happiness and harmony to not only the human beings, but to the entire Universal and Cosmic beings.
This is because of his infinite powers and his longing to provide these all to each and every peace and happiness-carving being.
How this happens?
The Infinite Powers vested in a THIRTHANKARA are the accumulated results of his virtuious deeds AUSPICIOUS KARMAS of several of his previous births. Through the strivings and contemplations and Meditations of these chain series of Births ultimately resulting in his acquirement of perfect knowledge KEVAL JNANA and Infinite Powers to uplift the suffering beings of the Universe.
Thus the birth of a Tirthankara is called a KALYANAKA, which provides upliftment, welfare, happiness to all.
Today, it is about 2696th JANMA KALYANAKA of Bhagawan Mahaveer, who was born in 598 B.C. at Kshatriyakundagram, Vaishali, Bihar.
Due to above-referred Previous Birth's accumulated Contemplatic and seekings, as for all Tirthankaras, Mahaveer was also born from his very birth with the possession of three kinds of faculties of KNOWLEDGE, called Mati jnana, Shruta Jnana and Avadhi Jnana. There being FIVE types of such JNANAS, he acquired the rest two MANAH PARYAV and KEVALA JNANA later on during his FINAL seekings and Meditations.
Because of these inborn knowledge-possession, he was very very high intellectually from his childhood. Similarly, he was extraordinarily BRAVE and FEARLESS from his early life. Episodes of Ferrocious Cobra and Mad Elephant's controlling by him are a few of examples.
As a prince he remained in his kingly Palace until the passing away of his parents, whom he respected and served beyond an average person to set an example of parent worship, there after he respected his elder brother's wishes and then renounced the world by distributing and donating everything EXCEPT A LION PIECE OF CLOTH to the have nots and went alone in Forests in Seclusion and Meditations. After twelve and a half years of rigorous and thrilling seekings he acquired KEVAL JNANA at the age of 42 and there after for 30 years he went on preaching his TRUTHS. He attained NIRVANA at 72 at PAVAPURI, Bihar, leaving behind and organised eternal religious- order.
PROF. PRATAPKUMAR J. TOLIYA