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MAHĀVĪRA AND HIS TIMES
1. Background of Mahāvīra's Tīrthakarahood Bhagavān Mahāvira is a Tirthakara in Jainism. According to Jaina historical tradition, he is neither the first promulgator of Jainism nor the last for all the time to come. There have been Tirthakaras from beginningless time, and they will be there in future too. There would be specialities of the dharma preached by them to suit the time; and, at the same time, there would be consistent continuity of the same. The first Tīrthakara of the present age is Rşabhanātha. He is mentioned, as a rule, not only in all the Jaina purānas, but also in ancient scriptures of India like the Rgveda etc. in different contexts.
The lives of twentyfour Tīrthakaras, beginning with Rşabha and ending with Mahāvīra, are described in due details in the Jaina purāņas. As though to maintain uniformity and to express common spirit of religious, doctrinal and philosophical ideology, the series of Mahāvira's earlier births are linked with Rşabhadeva. Bharata, son of Rşabha, was the first Cakravartin; and it is from him that our country got the name Bhārata-varsa.
1 Rgveda 10, 102, 6; 10, 136; 10, 166; 2,33. Bhāgavata-purāņa 4, 6. Vişnupurāna 3, 18 etc. The mention of Vrşabha, Keśi and Vāta-raśana Digambara monks deserves special attention. 2 Samavāyānga-sūtra 246 ff. Kalpa-sūtra. Hemacandra's Trisasti-salākāpurusa-carita. Tiloya-pannatti, 'mahādhikāra' 4. Jinasena's Adi-purāna. Gunabhadra's Uttara-purana. Puspadanta's Mahāpurānu (Apabhramsa).
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