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Tirthamkaras
63
went on for 30 years unti! his Nirvana or death. The fundamental point in his doctrine is that birth is nothing, caste nothing, and authority of scripture is nothing but Karma every thing and one gets full release from the revolution of births and deaths on the destruction of Karma through utmost austerities. Like Buddha, he preached first to the rich and aristocratic, and though his followers are to be found more amongst the middle classes, his carliest supporters seem to have been rulers and petty kings.... The Digambara and Svetambara legends give the names of the different rulers Mahāvīra visited, and tell how Cetaka, king of Videha became a patron of the order, and Kunika, king of Anga, gave him the most cordial welcome,and how, when he travelled as far as Kausambi, he was received with the greatest honour by its King Satānika, who listened with deep interest to his preaching and eventually entered his order. The Digambaras claim that in 30 years he converted to Jainisin, Magadha, Bihar, Prayaga, Kausambi, Campapurī and many other powerful states in North India.' The places visited by the Jina number great in the Jaina chronicles. The first rainy season of his religious ministry was spent at a town named Asthigrama. "Proceeding then to Campa and Prṣtacampa, he there spent 3, a Vanijyagrāma near Vaiśāli he spent 12, and in the village of Nālandā, near Rajagṛha 14, six at Mithila, two at Bhadrikā, one at Śrāvasti, one at Paṇitabhūmi, and the last of the rainy season, he spent at Papa, the place of his Nirvana. His first disciple was Gotama Indrabhūti, who attained Supreme knowledge and became the chief of his perfectly initiated disciples. At the last-named place, sitting on his lotus seat, he preached the fifty-five discourses that explain the results of Karma and while repeating all alone the sixty-sixth called the chief lesson, he passed away at the age of 72 in about 527 B.C.2 We are to deal now with the origin of his name and symbolism. The two principal names by which he was known were is explained
1. The Heart of Jainism. p. 40.
2. This short life of Mahavira is sketched mainly from the Kalpa Sutra of the Svetambaras. The Digambaras, however, differ in the points of his birth, marriage and dress in the Saint's life. Cf. Uttarapurāņa and the Digambara Harivaṁśa Purana, Chapters II, III.
