________________
Timeless Message of Bhagwan Mahavira
I bow to Mahavira who is a supreme deity, one who is worshipped even by Gods.
When Mahavira was born, the world was literally a hell. A handful of people, wallowing in luxuries, had made life miserable for the common man. He had lost all hopes, and believed that everything had been ordained and had resigned himself to fate with no hope of salvation.
Religion had fallen on evil days. Temples had become dens of vices. Animals were sacrificed. Kings waged wars to satisfy their ambitions and scriptures would say that those dying on the battle field would inherit the kingdom of heaven. Thousands of women suffered widowhood and thousands of innocent children were rendered orphans. Knowledge was captive, a privilege for the few. It was not meant for the poor and those of low castes. Scriptures were the monopoly of the selected group of people. Others were denied even the
136
Timeless Message of Bhagwan Mahavira opportunity to listen to them. Women were ill-treated, treated as slaves; as chattel with no identity of their own. Caste distinctions were rampant and untouchability ruled the roost. The low-caste people were subjected to insults and indignities. Enmity was a virtue and shedding blood a sport. It was in such terrible times that Mahavira was born 2600 years ago, shedding luminous light, dispelling darkness.
Sanskrit was the language of the upper caste people, a language not understood by ordinary people. All philosophical discussions were in Sanskrit which were beyond the ken of the common people. Those, who spoke the common language of the ordinary people, were considered inferior, not worthy of respect. The so-called enlightened ones did not remove ignorance. On the contrary they perpetuated it, for knowledge was the preserve of only few. The Shudras (of low caste) and women were not allowed to read the Vedas and those who dared were punished.
The first thing Bhagwan Mahavira did was to break the dominance of Sanskrit - the language of the elite. He said, "Knowledge is not for the knowledgeable, but for the ordinary people, too. Speak the language which they understand." Ardhmagadhi was the language used by the masses and so he began to preach in that language. He expounded the mysteries of existence and religion in easy-to-understand language. Earlier people did not understand the pandits (scholars), but now they did. Women in Mahavira's time were denied social and religious rights and had to depend on men. They were sold as a commodity and were denied decent existence. Mahavira ushered in a revolution. He brought about two reforms. He laid emphais on celibacy and said that if a woman becomes a sadhvi
137
