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TIRTHANKARA MAHAVIRA
19
1. Devotion to Arhat, 2. Devotion to Siddha, 3. Devotion to the Pravacana i. e. the Order of Law and the congregation of the holy persons, 4. Devotion to the Ācārya—the head of the religious order, 5. Service of the old monsk, 6. Service of the teacher, 7. Service of the saints, 8-10. Predilection for right knowledge, right faith and right conduct which together constitute the Path to liberation, 11. Modesty, 12. Celibacy, 13. Meditation, 14. Austerity, 15. Charity, 16. Service of the needy, 17. Producing reconciliation among others, 18. Readiness to widen the frontiers of knowledge, 19. Devotion to the canonical literature, and 20. Enhancing the dignity of the religious order. Mahāvīra as a Householder
Very little is known about Mahāvira's life as a householder. He was a son of a Ksatriya Siddhārtha of the Nāyakula and his wife Trisalā. This fact is corroborated by the epithet Nāyaputta given to Mahāvīra in Jaina canon as well as in Pāli Pitakas. But in Bhagavati (V. 33. 391), he himself accepts Brāhmani Devānandā—wife of a Brahmin Rsabhadatta as his mother. In order to explain away this fact the story of the change of embryo might have been invented and introduced by the Svetāmbara sect. No such story is found in the Digambara literature. It is curious to note that the Bhagavati tells us that this Brāhmin couple was very rich and both the husband and wife were liberated in that very birth. This is contradicted in story depicting the change of embryo in the Kalpasūtra wherein it is stated that the Brāhmin's family was very poor and low. It is noteworthy that according to Ācārānga and Kalpasūtra Ksatriya parents were not liberated but went to heaven after their death. So, it seems that in the view of the authors of the canon the Brāhmin parents were more advanced in the spiritual progress than the Ksatriya parents. We would like to remark that there is some confusion in the minds of the authors about this episode.
Mahāvīra was born in Ksatriyakundagrāma, otherwise called Kundapura or Kundalapura, which may be the suburb of Vaiśālī. This is the reason why he is mentioned as Vesālia in the Jaina Canon. His birth took place on the 13th day of the Caitra Sukla 599 B. C. according to the tradition. And most of the scholars now-a-days are inclined to accept this date.
The name given to him by his parents was Vardhamāna. About his another name Mahāvīra there are many explanations which should not bother us here because he is famous by this very name. And throughout his life beginning from childhood to the end of his life he exhibited extraordinary strength and vigour; this made him a great hero. When all his little friends were afraid of a snake he dared to pick it up and then he gently threw it away. It is said that when he was
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