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APPENDIX 1: THE LIFE OF MAHAVIRA
Mahavira was born in 599 B.C. in Kunda grama, then a large city in Northern India near the modern city of Patna. His father was King Siddhārtha and his mother Trišalā. His original name, Vardha māna, which means “ever growing" was given to him because everything in the kingdom became abundant during the period of his mother's pregnancy.
He soon developed a great sense of understanding and rapport with animals. Even in his childhood he courageously subdued a terrifying snake. He also calmed an elephant which had gone on the rampage and stopped it from doing further damage. A fight with a large bully led to the name Mahavira or “Great Hero”.
He almost certainly received the typical training of a prince of that period e.g. in literature, political science, archery, mathematics, etc. He was very intelligent and at an early age his teacher confessed that Ma ha vira was a head of him in knowledge.
He led a normal domestic life and married Yasodā (that is according to Svetambara, but was not married according to Digambara), having a daughter named Priyadarśanā. According to one version, when he was 28 years old, on leaving the palace one day he saw a slave being whipped by his owner. Through this incident he became unhappy with the exploitation of the poor, ignorant and illiterate by richer members of the community, and a desire to leave family life developed within him. He did, however, have a deep feeling of consideration for his parents and this moved him to vow that he would not renounce domestic life until they had both passed away. After the death of his parents he waited until some two years later when their loss had become bearable to his elder brother, and then asked his permission to leave the palace. (The Digambaras believe that he became a monk while his parents were still alive.) It is believed that during these last two years in the palace he spent a considerable time in self-analysis, rather than in mundane, everyday pursuits.
He then left home to search for the root of all problems, i.e. to understand human nature and to study the universe in general. Obviously, his social status and environment whilst living in the palace was unsuited to this quest.
