Jaina Monuments Of Orissa

Author(s): R P Mohapatra
Publisher: D K Publications

Page 25

Background and Tradition
It is thus highly probable that some kind of Jaina faith existed before Mahavira and his teachings were based on it. The conversation between Kesi and Gotama testified to their friendly relations and points out that, inspite of some minor differences, the two were essentially the same. By the very nature of the case, tradition has preserved only those points of Pārsva's teachings which differed from the religion of Mahāvira while all other common points are ignored. The few differences that are known make Mahāvira definitely a reformer of an existing faith and the addition of a vow the importance of nudity and a more systematic arrangement of its philosophical tenets may be credited to his reforming zeal.
In the Jaina literature, Mahāvira, the last Tirthankara of the Jainas, is described as a supreme personality, who was acknowledged as "great Brahmana”, “a great guardian”, “a great guide", "a great preacher”, “a great pilot" and "a great recluse". He figures as a supremely gifted Kșatriya teacher and leader of thought who gathered unto him many men and women, and was honoured and worshipped by many hundreds and thousands of Srāvakas or lay disciples. He belonged to the Kāśyapa Gotra and shone forth as the moon of the clan of the Nāyas or Jñātras. He was the son of Ksatriya Siddhārtha and Ksatriyani Trisalā of the Vasistha gotra. His mother was a sister of Chetaka of Videha.
His parents who belonged to the jñātra Ksatriyas were the lay worshippers of Pārsva. They were pious, chaste in life and virtuous and cherished a very tender regard for all the six classes of living beings (cha jiva nikāya) following the teaching of Pārsva, they peacefully died by the practice of slow starvation of the senses.
Mahāvira was born in the town of Kundanagara, a suburb of Vaisali and an important seat of the jñātrkas. He was therefore called Vaiśālika-a citizen of Vaisali. On the day of his birth the prisoners in Kundanagara were released. Festivals kept the whole town bound in mirth and joy for ten days after which mary offerings were made to the Gods. But he was also known as a Videha-the son of Videhadatta. His parents fixed his name as Vardhamāna or prosperous one" because with his birth, the wealth, fame, and merit of the family increased. His aversion to love and hatred earned for him the appellation of Sramana or Recluse. The Gods gave him the name of Mahävira for his fortitude and hardihood in patiently bearing all sorts of privation and hardship for his strictly adhering to the rules of penance, and no less for his indifference to pleasure and pain. He was equally known as jñatra putra or scion of the Jñātr clan". The Jñatrakas are described as a people who were afraid of sin, who abstained from wicked deeds, did not cause harm to any living being and did not partake of meat.
Like Buddha, Mahāvira too was born of a Kşatriya aristocratic family. In fact all along, it has been the Jaina belief that a Jina must always come from a Ksatriya or some such noble family. Now it so happened that because of certain actions on his part in his former lives Mahāvira had first to take the form of an embryo in the womb of a Brahman lady named Devananda, the wife of the Brāhman Rşabhadatta and as usual with the lives of all such big prophets, there is a popular legend about Mahāvira also that when the God Sakra (Indra) “The chief of kings and gods" came to know about