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Mahavira (1882 BC to 1810 BC)
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bonds. Spiritualism and renunciation so much prevailed over him that ultimately on Margsirsa Krishna Dasami (11th November), 1852 BC he decided to become an ascetic.
Mahavira's parents had died and with the permission of his elder brother, he became an ascetic. He left the palace and proceeded to the park, Jnatrkhands-Vana, close to kundapur, and relinquished his ornaments and clothes. He pulled out his hair by his hands and initiated himself as a Jain monk. He observed fast for three days and then plunged himself into meditation. After sometime, he started touring various parts of the country. He lived in gardens and parks, but as required by the rules of his vows and fasts, he entered a town or a village once in a day and accepted the food offered to him according to the norms laid down for Jain ascetics. In standing or squatting posture, and with his eyes fixed on the tip of nose, he spent his time in meditation and in reflecting on the soul and in cultivating the attitude of equanimity towards one and all. Strictly observing his vows and other principles, he got himself habituated to endure with peace and patience all physical torturers like hunger, thirst, cold, heat, mosquito bites etc.
Astrologer Vishala
Mahavira practiced concentration in a forest. An astrologer of his city, named Vishala, arrived there. He told Mahavira that he had come to the forest after leaving the city and asked whether he would like to live in a secluded place. Mahavira said that when a person is born he is alone. When he dies, he is alone. Vishala asked Mahavira how he would live alone in a forest. Mahavira replied that he was not alone. Fixed concentration was his father, non-violence as his mother, celibacy, absence of desire, peace, reason, pardon, and asceticism were the members of his family, which always live with him. Truth always remains with him as his fast friend. Then Mahavira asked Vishala how he could say that he was alone in the forest? Vishala, the astrologer, understood that this youth of his city Mahavira would one day enlighten the whole world.
Austerities and Enlightenment
Mahavira spent twelve years as an ascetic, practicing various austerities. The people treated him very badly. However, Mahavira withstood them all because he had avoided harming or annoying other living beings including animals, birds and plants. He was enlightened in the thirteenth year of his wanderings on Baisakh Shukla Dasami (April 26) 1840 BC while he was seated beneath a Sal tree close to the village Jrmbhaka on the northern bank of river Rajupalika. During this period of 12 years he neither made any disciples nor gave any sermons After he was enlightened, he came to mount Vipulachal outside Panchshailpur, then to the capital of Magadha (Rajgir). In the morning of Sravan Krishna Pratipada, his first sermon was in the dialect of Semi Magadhi and from here, he started his DharmaChakra-Pravartana.
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Preaching
He spent the next thirty years traveling on bare feet around India preaching to the people the
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