Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

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

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संठिउ पविमल-रयण-सिला-यलि, राय-हंसु णावइ पंकय-दलि; दोण्णि दियहँ पविहारु मुएप्पिणु, सुक्क-झाणु तिज्जउ झाएप्पिणु। (घत्ता) णिव्वत्तिइ कत्तिइ तम-कसणि पक्ख-चउद्दसि वासरि, थिइ ससहरि दुहँहरि साइवइ पच्छिम-रयणिहि अवसरि। कय-ति-जोय-सुणिरोहु अणिट्ठउ, किरिया-छिण्णइ झाणि परिठिउ, णिहयाघाइ-चउक्कु अदेहउ, वसु-सम-गुण-सरीरु णिण्णेहउ। रिसि-सहसेण समउ रय-छिंदणु, सिद्धउ जिणु सिद्धत्थहु णंदणु। The Uttara-purāņa too describes this episode (76, 508-12): इहान्त्य-तीर्थ-नाथोऽपि विहृत्य विषयान् बहून्। क्रमात् पावापुरं प्राप्य मनोहर-वनान्तरे, बहूनां सरसां मध्ये महामणि-शिलातले। स्थित्वा दिन-द्वयं वीत-विहारो वृद्ध-निर्जरः, कृष्णकार्तिक-पक्षस्य चतुर्दश्यां निशात्यये। स्वाति-योगे तृतीयेद्ध-शुक्लध्यान-परायणः, कृत-त्रियोग-संरोधः समुच्छिन्न-क्रियं श्रितः। हताघाति-चतुष्कः सन्नशरीरो गुणात्मकः, गन्ता मुनि-सहस्रेण निर्वाणं सर्व-वाञ्छितम्। For these references it is clear that Lord Mahāvīra attained nirvana in a park, near Pāvāpura, round about which there were many ponds or lakes. At present the site of the nirvāņa of Mahāvira is accepted near Bihar-Sherif in Patna district where a magnificent Jaina temple stands in the centre of a big lake. This is accepted as the tīrtha-ksetra on all hands. Both the sects, Digambara and Svetāmbara, have voluntarily accepted this place as the spot of the nirvana of Mahāvīra. But historians have many difficulties in accepting this place as the nirvāṇa-bhūmi of Mahāvīra. According to the Kalpasutra and Parisista-parvan, Pava, where Mahavira attained nirvāṇa, was the capital of a Kșatriya clan, Malla by name. These Mallas belonged to or were a part of the Vajji or Licchavi Sarigha of Vaiśālī; and they were opposed or enemical to the autocratic government in Magadha. Thus there is no likelihood of any of these kingdoms south of the Ganges where the holy place of the present-day Pāvāpuri is located. Besides this, on authority of Buddhist texts like the Digha- and Majjhima-nikāya it is proved that Pāvā was located in Sākya country; and it was to the west
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