Jaina Monuments Of Orissa

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

Page 26

Jaina Monuments of Orissa
this it was arranged by him to transfer the embryo from Devananda's womb to that of Ksatryant Trisalā, the wife of the Kşatriya king Sidhārtha of the Kaśyapa Gotra, belonging to the clan of the Jñātri-kșatriyas. Although at the instance of a miracle Mahāvira ultimately belongs to Ksatriya origin.
Curiously enough this legend has been worked out in sculptures also. Some specimens of Jaina sculptures from Mathura bear testimony to it with an exactness which is really surprising, which fact shows that this legend can be traced historically to the very beginning of the Christian era and therefore it can safely be said that it must have had some connection either with the life of Mahāvira or that it must have been connected with one or the other social characteristic of those days.5
In his thirteenth year, Mahāyira married Yosada, a Kşatriya lady who belonged to the Kaundinya gotra and had by her a daughter, named Anojjā or Priyadarśana. Anoijā was married to Yamāli, a Kşatriya who after becoming one of Mahāyira's followers and fellow workers ended by opposing him.
In his thirteenth year, he lost his parents. Afterwards with the permission of his elder brother and the authorities of the kingdom, he fulfilled his promise of going out to establish a universal religion of love and amity.
Having left the house, Mahāvira went through the usual career of ascetic. He wandered more than twelve years resting only during the rainy season. For about the first thirteen months the venerable ascetic Mahāvira wore clothes. “After that time he walked about naked casting aside every kind of garment. By uninterrupted meditation, unbroken chastity and the most scrupulous observation of the rules concerning eating and drinking he fully subdued his senses. He was out to neglect his body for twelve years and with equanimity he was prepared to bear, undergo and suffer all calamities arising from any sources. The robe that he was putting on during his wanderings was taken away from him in halves by some Brahman friend of his father named Soma.
For more than a couple of years he went without using cold water. He realised singleness, guarded his body, obtained intuition and became calm. He carefully avoided doing injury to the meanest form of life. He did not use what was expressly prepared for him. He used to eat only clean food. He did not use another man's robe nor did he eat out of another man's vessel. He observed moderation in eating and drinking. He neither rubbed his eyes nor stretched his body.
He meditated day and night undisturbed exerting himself strenuously. He never cared to sleep for the sake of pleasure. He waked up himself and slept only a little, free from cares and desires. Waking up again he lay down exerting himself, going outside for one in a night, he walked about for an hour.
5. C.J. Shah, Jainism in North India, p. 21.