Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

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

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should not ignore these places, but by extending full cooperation invest them with full propriety in view of their historical importance.
9. Place of Penance of Mahāvīra Where Mahävira started practising penance is stated thus in the Mahāpurūnu (1, 11) of Puspadanta: चंदप्पह-सिवियहिँ पहु चडिण्णु, तहिँ णाहु संड-वणि णवर दिण्णु। मग्गसिर-कसण-दसमी-दिणंति, संजायइ तियसुच्छवि महंति। वोलीणइ चरियावरण-पंकि, हत्थुत्तर-मज्झासिइ ससंकि। छट्ठोपवासु किउ मलहरेण, तवचरणु लइउ परमेसरेण । Likewise, the Uttara-purāņa (74, 302, 304) describes his taking to penance thus: नाथः (नाथ-)षण्ड-वनं प्राप्य स्व-यानादवरुह्य सः, श्रेष्ठः षष्ठोपवासेन स्वप्रभा- पटलावृते। निविश्योदङ्मुखो वीरो रुन्द्र-रत्न-शिला-तले, दशम्यां मार्गशीर्षस्य कृष्णायां शशिनि श्रिते। हस्तोत्तरर्पयोर्मध्यं भागं चापास्त-लक्ष्मणि, दिवसावसितौ धीरः संयमाभिमुखोऽभवत् । Then the Harivarısa-purāna (2, 50-52) says: सौधर्माद्यैः सुरैरेत्य कृताभिषव-पूजनः, आरुह्य शिविकां दिव्यामुह्यमानां सुरेश्वरैः। उत्तरा-फाल्गुनीष्वेव वर्तमाने निशाकरे, कृष्णस्य मार्गशीर्षस्य दशम्यामगमद् वनम् । अपनीय तनोः सर्वं वस्त्रमाल्य-विभूषणम्, पञ्चमुष्टिभिरुद्धृत्य मूर्धजानभवन्मुनिः। These three sources clearly state that Lord Mahāvīra of the Natha, Naya, or Jnatr family went to the Sanda (Khanda)vana, started penance and became a muni, on the 10th day of the dark half of the month of Mārga-sirşa. According to the texts of the Ardha-māgadhi canon such as Kalpa-sūtra etc., it has been mentioned as Nāya-sarda-vana, i.e., the park belonging to the Jnātr-ksatriyas. One thinks that even in the Uttara-purāņa the original reading
must have been Natha-samda-vana or Naha-sanda-vana in Apabhramsa on which the ignorant copyists have improved
9 Hoernle, Upāsaka-daśā, Introduction and Notes. Cambridge History of India, I, p. 140. Bhāratiya Sanskrti men Jaina Dharma kā Yogadāna,
Pp. 22 ff.
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