Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

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K. M. PATEL
clan in ancient times. It is why Lord Mahāvīra is very often called Jñātrputra or Nātputta in Buddhist works.
The Svetāmbara Jaina religious scholars are of the opinion that the Lord was first conceived by a Brahmin lady; but that the angels had to transfer the fetus to the womb of the queen as the Brahmin family was considered to be less respectable. This phenomenon of the transfering of the fetus does not find favour with the Digambaras.
According to both the sects the fact is that Mahāvíra was born to Trišalā Devi. Five nurses were engaged to rear him. Care was also taken to make him fond of songs glorifying valour. As the Digambaras believe, at the age of eight, he was initiated into the twelve vows of the Sravaka. At such a tender age thus, he planned for offering his life for the religious welfare of the world; that is, he took the vow of celibacy and remained celibate throughout his life. On the other hand as the Svetāmbaras believe, he enjoyed the happiness of the world till he attained the age of thirty, that he married and attained fatherhood, that he set an ideal of uninvolved family life. His declaration of renunciation pained his parents and hence he postponed it till they died. His elder brother Nandivardhan again prevented him from renouncing life when he was twenty-eight. He thus put into practice the accepted maxim of the day that obedience to the parents and the elder brother is the mark of a householder. Thus, what was accepted as a mere code of conduct was raised to the status of a religious ideal. For two more years he remained within the bounds of the family and continued his religious practices. Then for one more year he went on giving alms. That he, in no way deviated from the obligations of the family life is to be seen in the fact that he became father of a daughter and that his daughter was given in marriage. He thus set an example of excellent family life discharging obligations of love as a husband and as a father.
The Svetāmbara texts bear evidence to the fact that he had given 3888 millions of gold coins by way of alms. These facts