Lord Mahavira and His Times

Author(s): Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 77

Mahāvira and His Life
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whether I sleep or remain awake, the supreme knowledge and intuition are present with me-constantly and continuously. There are, o Nirgranthas, some sinful acts you have done in the past, which you must now wear out by this acute form of austerity. Now that here you will be living restrained in regard to your acts, speech, and thought, it will work as the nondoing of Karma for future. Thus, by the exhaustion of the force of past deeds through penance and the non-accumulation of new acts, (you are assured) of the stoppage of the future course, of rebirth from such stoppage, of the destruction of the effect of Karma, from that, of the destruction of pain, from that, of the destruction of mental feelings, and from that, of the complete wearing out of all kinds of pain." FIRST SERMON
When Mahāvīra attained kevalahood, a Samavasarana (religious conference) was held on the bank of the river Ujjuvāliyā, but it is said that the first discourse of Mahāvīra remained unsuccessful. Then after traversing twelve yojanas, he is said to have returned to Majjhima Pāvā where the second Samavasarana was convened in the garden of Mahāsena. Here after a long discussion on various religious and philosophic points, Mahāvīra converted to Jainism the eleven learned Brāhmaņas who had gone there to attend the great sacrifice performed by a rich Brāhmaṇa named Somila.
According to the Digambara scriptures, even after obtaining Kevalajñāna (Enlightenment) at Jřimbhikagrāma, Mahāvira did not break his vow of silence taken from the time of Pravrajjā, and wandering continuously for sixtysix days in silencc, reached Rājagriha, the capital of Magadha. Outside the city of Rājagriha, at Vipulāchala where he settled, a Samavasaraṇa was held for his first sermon. First of all he converted eleven Icarned Brāhmaṇas, including Indrabhūti Gautama, who were known as his disciples (Ganadharas). King Śroņika with the members of the royal family, including his qucen Chetanā, and the whole army camc to the Samarasarana to pay homage to Mahāvsra as well as to listen to his first sermon. It is said that the king asked him several questions 1. Majjh, 1, pp. 92-93.