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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision subsided, but her mental anxiety increased. She suspected, that something inauspicious would happen, she wept bitterly and swooned. The whole royal family now was full of sorrow. And, the great soul yet in the mother's womb thought, "What I did for their good, has caused grief to them." So it began its stirrings, the mother's joy knew no bounds. This happened when the soul had been in the womb for six and a half months. But the great soul was deeply moved at this and thought, "How wonderful is a mother's affection for her child ! The trouble the child causes actually gives her pleasure. In this samsara there is no virtue greater than dedication to one's mother. I am yet in the womb. Mother has not even seen my face. But how much affection she has for me !" At that time Bhagwan Mahavira made up his mind that he would not take initiation during the life-time of his parents. Thus the first lesson Bhagwan Mahavira taught was one should always have feelings of loyalty and of love towards one's mother.
It was on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Chaitra that Bhagwan Rishabhadev was born. Under the constellation Hastottara at mid-night on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month Chairta, Vardhaman was born.
56 celestial maidens joined the celebration of this birth. 64 Indras performed the infant's ablution with holy water. Even when he was a child, Mahavira was brave and knew no fear. When he was seven, Vardhaman was once playing with children the game of ambali-pipali among the branches of a tree. At that time, a snake coiled itself round the trunk of the tree. The children on the ground took to their heels. Those on the tree clung to the branches, trembling out of fear. But Vardhaman's mind knew no fear. He was not at all afraid of
Non-Violence : A Way of Life the snake. He caught the snake at its tail-end, shook it and threw off. The second lesson that Vardhaman teaches is that of fearlessness, intrepidity. Without fearlessness, there cannot be spiritual development. All frighten him who fears. Nobody can stand up to a man who is fearless.
In order to test Vardhaman's fearlessness, one god took the form of a nauseating person. When he was eight, Vardhaman was playing with other children on the outskirts of the city. The rule of the game was that the winner would sit on the back of the boy, who had lost the game. The god assumed the form of a child, came to play there and according to his own plan he lost the game. He let Vardhaman sit on back. But all of a sudden he transformed himself into a giant, as tall as seven palm-trees. The god uttered sharp loud shrieks. A mass of matted hair shot out of his head. His eyes became flaming red. Other children ran away out of fear. But there was no fear in Vardhaman's eyes nor did he show any other sign, not even a tremor. He was tranquil as if majestically riding an elephant. He so struck the god's shoulder with his fist that the god cried out in pain. He gave up his hideous form of a giant and became a small child. Here, the whole city was full of fears, not simply because Vardhaman was the prince of King Siddhartha, but because people loved him so much. All saw Vardhaman returning safely, and heaved a sigh of relief. He was sitting on the god's shoulder. Some ran forward to beat up the god.
Vardhaman said to them, "No, he should not be beaten. It is the greatest punishment to an evil-doer if he repents what he has done. Who are we to punish him ? So, forgive him and let him go."
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