Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

Author(s): Harilal Jain, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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located in the Bharata-kşetra. There are, however, other references which make it clear that this Kundapura was located in the territory of Videha, for instance, in the Nirvāņabhakti of Pūjyapāda: सिद्धार्थ-नृपति-तनयो भारत-वास्ये विदेह-कुण्डपुरे।
That is, Mahāvira, the son of king Siddhārtha, was born in Kundapura, in the territory of Videha, in the Bhārata-varșa. Likewise Jinasena states thus in his Hari-varśa-purāņa (sarga 2, verses 1-5): अथ देशोऽस्ति विस्तारी जम्बू-द्वीपस्य भारते, pade sa facan: Foot-605-74: freni तत्राखण्डल-नेत्राली-पद्मिनी-खण्ड-मण्डनम्, सुखाम्भः-कुण्डमाभाति नाम्ना कुण्डपुरं पुरम्। That is, in the Bharata-kşetra of Jambū-dvipa, there is the extensive territory well-known as Videha which, in its glory, is like a portion of heaven. There stands prominently a town, Kundapura by name, which is a pond of the water of happiness and which is decked by a lotus pool in the form of thousand eyes of Indra. It is stated thus in the Uttarapurāņa of Gunabhadra (parvan 74, verses 251-52): भरतेऽस्मिन् विदेहाख्ये विषये भवनाङ्गणे rş: cus-
T RT -ETRT-466-99: 1 That is, a heavy shower of wealth poured down in the veranda or courtyard of the palace of the king of Kunndapura in the territory of Videha, in Bharata-kşetra. In the Ācārārga (2, 15) and Kalpa-sūtra (110) of the ArdhaMāgadhi canon it is thus stated: समणे भगवं महावीरे णाए णाय-पुत्ते णाय-कुल-णिव्वत्ते विदेहे विदेह-दिण्णे विदेह-जच्चे विदेह-सूमाले तीसं वासाइं विदेहसि कटु अगार-मज्झे वसित्ता। Thus Mahāvīra is closely associated with Jñātr-kula of the Videha territory where he lived for thirty years prior to his renunciation. It is obvious from these references that lord Mahāvīra was born in Kundapura which was in the Videha territory. Luckily there is no difference of opinion about the boundaries of Videha.
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