Mahavira his Times and his Philosophy of Life

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

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revaluing the ancient Indian heritage in a new perspective. It is in the fitness of things that great personalities like Mahāvīra and Buddha are remembered with reverence in this context. I have often wondered how these great Teachers, whose preachings have such an abiding human appeal, could have been somewhat neglected for some time in the very land which they enriched and elevated in its moral stature. It is, however, a happy augury that their greatness is being appreaciated today all the more. As usual, it is an irony with us, that Western scholarship has to make us aware of the greatness of our men and matters. Very valuable work in the fields of Jaina and Buddhist literatures was done by Western savants; and today, we are in a position to appreciate the greatness of Mahāvīra and Buddha, better than we could do in earlier days.
17. Mahāvīra : His Age The 2500th Parinirvāna Day of Buddha was celebrated some years back; and now (1974-75) that of Mahāvīra is being celebrated all over the country and even outside. And it is but natural that we should study and understand in detail the personality of and principles preached by Mahāvīra. Mahāvīra was a contemporary of Buddha, and he stands as the 24th Tīrthakara whose preaching fully breathe the spirit of what I have called the Eastern stream of thought in India. All that Mahāvīra and his predecessors have preached goes under the name of Jainism today, but that should not come in the way of our appreciating and putting into practice the great principles preached by Mahāvīra which stand today embedded and elaborately interpreted in Jaina literature in different languages. Those of you who have visited Bihar can testify to the fertility of that part of India; but more than that, in the history of Indian thought and culture Bihar has played an important
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