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Some Aspects of sodian Culture
therefore, has to rely on later accounts which are intermixed with miracles and myths. Here is an illustration to show his bold and brave nature
“Vardhamāna was once upon a time playing in his father's garden in the company of his friends. He saw an infuriated elephant running amok in the crowd and rushing towards them. His friends were afraid of the impending danger and they fled away leaving him all alone. Immediately deciding to face the mad clephant with calmness and courage, he made a dash towards it, caught hold of the clc. phant 's trunk and climbed straightaway on its back.”
Mahavira had a sound physique. His limbs were all perfect and proportionate. Strength appeared as if overfiownig froni them and he was equally strong in mind, heart and soul too. He was brought up in a royal atmosphere and learnt all the arts and sciences worth knowing. It is clear that he had made up his mind from his very childhood to humanise the society and to so orientate the religious teaching as to wipe out inequality, exploitation, autocracy and injustice, especially in the social and religious domains. His religious crusade against the tyranny of the socalled self-appointed custodians was exclusively based on the principles of Jainism which he ably expounded and interpreted to the people of his time
Mere preaching without practice was hypocrisy, he thought, and therefore, he wanted to renounce the world in the prime of life, but his parents desired to scc their son live a normal life and arranged Mahavira's marriage, which was ultimately solemnized. In this matter Mahāvira respected the w shes of his parents, although his heart was not in it. Yasodā was the name of his wife and in cou se of time, Priyadarśanā, a daughter, was born to them. Out of sheer regard for his parents, Mahāvira gave an assurance that he would not renounce the world so long as they were alive.
In his twenty-eighth year, when his parents died, he informed his elder bro. ther, Nandivardhana, of his original desire, but the latter prevailed upon him to postpone his renunciation in view of the bereavement caused by the death of their parents. Mahāvira yielded and put off his departure by two years more.
Mahavira ultimately threw off the worldly shackles at the age of thirty and started his religious career as a homeless monk, fully convinced of the ephemeral nature of all that was going on around him and fired by a zeal in quest of the Supreme Truth. This great event is vividly and touchingly described in the Kalpasutra.
Mahāvira destined to be the Tirthankara was gifted from his very birth with three kinds of knowledge technically called Mati, śruta and Avadhi and got the fourth one called Manahparyava on the eve of his renunciation. Only the Suprei e Knowledge--all-comprehensive knowledge-the fifth and last, technically called Kevala, now remained to be obtained by him, and this he did by leading an ascetic life for twelve years or so.
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