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role. The great champions of Ātma-philosophy, like Buddha, Janaka and Mahāvira hail from this part. It is Mithilā in Bihar that has made substantial contributions to Mimāṁsā, Nyāya and Vaiseșika systems. Some 2500 years ago, Vaiśālī (modern Basārh, some 45 kms. to the north of Patna) was a prosperous capital. A suburb of it was called Kundalapura or Ksatriyakunda; and here in the palace of king Siddhārtha, of his queen Trisalā or Priyakārini, Mahāvīra was born : to emphasise his various outstanding traits. He was also known as Jñāta-putra, Vaiśāliya, Vardhamāna, Sanmati, etc. His mother belonged to the family of Cetaka, the mighty Licchavi ruler of Videha at whose call Licchavis and Mallas co-operated both for defence and offence. Tradition is not unanimous about his marriage: according to the one, he was a celibate throughout; while according to another, he married Yasodā and had a daughter called Priyadarsanā. As a prince having excellent connections with ruling dynasties of his times, it was expected of him to rule with authority and enjoy the pleasures of a prosperous career after his father. But that was not to be. Just at the age of 30, Mahāvīra decided like a hero to relinquish the comforts of a princely life and undertook the life of an ascetic with a view to attaining spiritual happiness, and thus place before the world the correct values of life and an example of his having solved its problems in a successful manner. Attachment and possessive instincts have been the greatest obstacles in the attainment of spiritual peace and purification; and he gave them up in an ideal manner. Physical comforts are not an end in themselves; and Mahāvīra became a nirgrantha, and went about practising severe penances, even without any clothes on his body. We have graphic description of his hardships given in detail in the Acārārga, etc.: people abused him, boys pelted him with stones, and thus he was subjected to many calamities in the Eastern part of Bengal. After twelve years of rigorous penances, Mahāvīra had a triumph over physical weaknesses
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