Lord Mahavira and His Times

Author(s): Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 82

02
Lord Mahavira and His Times
point out that their association with them was not new. In order to trace the beginning of this association from the earliest times they concocted the story of Mahāvīra's visit to King Uddāyana.
The late Jaina works describe Mahāvīra's itinerary exhaustively and chronologically, but the description does not seem to be fully reliable. After attaining Kevalajñāna, Mahāvīra spent no less than thirty rainy seasons at the following places yearwise-(1) Rājagļiha, (2) Vaiśāli, (3) V nijyagrāma, (4) Rājagļiha, (5) Vā ijyagrāma, (6) Rājagriha, (7) Rājagļiha, (8) Vaiśāli, (9) Vaiśālī, (10) Rājagļiha, (1.1) V nijyagrāma, (12) Rājagriha, (13) Rājagriha, (14) Champā, (15) Mithila, (16) Vānijyagrāma, (17) Rājagriha, (18) Vāņijyagrāma, (19) Vaiśālī, (20) Vaiśāli, (21) Rājagriha, (22) Nālandā, (23) Vaiśālī, (24) Vaiś li, (25) Räjagriha, (26) Nālandā, (27) Mithilā, (28)Mithilā, (29) Rājagriha, and (30) Āpāpāpurī.? INFLUENCE ON LAY FOLLOWERS (ŚRĀVAKAS)
First of all, Mahāvīra seems to have tried to attract those householders who formed a large body of lay disciples by laying down certain rules of conduct. Gautama Indrabhūti was taken to task by the Master when he sought to claim a difference in degree in this respect between a recluse and a lay disciple. The gift of supernormal vision was no monopoly of any Order or caste or sex. In this matter, Mahāvīra made no distinction between men and men, or between men and women. He did not enjoin one set of rules for male rccluses and another for those of the fair sex, one set of rules for male lay disciples and another for female lay disciples. When he wandered about in the country, he was accompanied by male as well as female recluses.
Mahāvíra not only taught his followers to observe penances and live a life of restraint' in all possible ways but also watched how they had been progressing. He also cncouraged them in the study of the Pūrvas and in developing their power of reasoning and arguing. The Buddhist records themselves attest that there were somc able and powerful disputants among 1 NATA, pp. 396-400.
Uva, 1.