Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Bool Chand
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

Page 97

( 89 ) their final liberation. With the Mallas, Jainism seems to have established almost as good connections as with the Licchavis. According to Dr. B.C. Law, we get ample proof for this even from the Buddhist literature.
Geographically Kosala roughly corresponds to modera Oudh, and it seems to have contained three great cities-namely Ayodhya, Saketa and Sravasti-the first two sometimes being often supposed to be one and the same. When one remembers that Sravasti was visited by Mahavira more than once and that he was always well received there one cannot but admit that the Kosalas also came under the influence of Mahavira.
Map of Mahavira's travels :
From this analysis of the various kingdoms and republics of Eastern India, it would appear that Mahavira's reformed church gained followers practically all over the vast stretches of the country. The refcrences in the Jain texts enable us to draw a complete map of Lord Mahavira's travels and to recount the names of some of his prominent followers during the period of his propagation of the faith. The following is the list of the places where he stayed for the successive rainy scasons after the attainment of Kerala Jnana.
It has been stated above that Mahavira attained the Kevala while sitting in meditation in a ficld outside the town Jşmbhikagrāma and that he made his first converts and established the Sangha at a Samavasarana near the place of Somilācārya's Yajña. From there the Lord proceeded to Rajgțha, the capital of Magadha, whicre he initiated the princes Mcghakumar and Nandisena into the order of monks, gained numerous lay followers including Sulasa, Abhayakumar, and the King Srenika (Bimbasara) himself. The first rainy season he spent at Rajgpha.