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Jaina Iconography
had shown early igns of being destined to be a Prophet. Thirty ycars he lived as a house-holder, but after his parent's death, hi deterinined to take the ascetic life and obtained the permission of his brother, who had, then, become king. He renounced everything, all his gold and jewels, distributing them in charity and dividing them among his relatives. He then proceeded in his palanquin to the Park called Sundavana (Sveta) or Sārathi Khaņda (Digi. in Kundanagara (of Vairāli) and there under the Hioku urce, he stripped himself of all his raiments and jewels and entered upon an ascetic life of Suverest penances and austeri
les.
The adorable ascetic hero for one year and a month wore clothing, afterwards he went robtless and had no vessel but his hand. Mahāvīra for twelve years and full six months, entirely neglected his bodly, and laid aside all care of his person, he conclucted himself with perfect patience and equanimity and felt nothing dispirited by the wretchedness of his condition. He had no attachunent or lie binding him to the world. These ties are of four kinds: ar!icles of possession, place, time and affections. “Bound neither !o this world nor to the world to come desiring neither life nor clcath, wholly superior to worldly attachments, he set himself to slay the enemy works (karma).
The third stage of Malāvira's life is represented by his attainment of hevalajñāna or Perfect knowledge. After twelve years of constant practice of asceticism and meditation, when he was 42 years old he went to a place differently known as Trmblikagrāma or Jşmbhikagrāına, not far from the Pārs vanātha Jills. There under the shade of a Sāla iree by the side of the river called Rtuvālika or Rjuvālika, 'sitting in a crouching posture, as one does in nuilking a cow' (Samparvarikāsana), he was in deepest meditation and attained the absolute or the perfect knowledge. From that time, he became an Arhat or Jina.
Then began his career as a preacher of his doctrine which
आदिदेश तथा कर्तु सेनान्यं नैगमेषिणम् । विदधे नैगमेषी च तथैव स्वामिशासनम् ।।
Trişaş!i-sulāki-puruşu-caritu, Paran, 10, 2nd Sarga, 24-25. 1. Rev. J. Stevenson's version of the Kalpa Sūtra (1848).
