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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
In all those seven previous births except that of Marichi, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a brahmin. The story of tridandi suggests the important point that those Jaina ascetics who could not follow the hard code of Jaina ascetic conduct became tridandi. If a Jaina ascetic was lax or loose in the observance of Jaina code of ascetic conduct, he could not retain his status of a Jaina ascetic.
In his fifth previous birth Tirthankara Mahavira was born as Kaushika brahmana who accepted tridandi religion. After that he had several unimportant births.
In his sixth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a brahmana who accepted tridandi religion. In his eighth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as Agniudyota brahamana who too accepted tridandi religion. In his tenth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as Agnibhuti brahmana. His father was Somila and his mother was Shivabhadra. Agnibhuti received initiation from parivrajaka ascetic Surasena. In his twelth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a brahmana named Bharadvaja who accepted tridandi religion. No information is available about Tirthankara Mahavira's various unimportant births after his thirteenth previous birth. They are not counted as his previous births.
In his fourteenth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a son of Kapila brahmana and his wife Kantimati. He was given the name Sthavara. He accepted tridandi religion. In his fifteenth previous birth Tirthankara Mahavira was, born as a god. After that he had several unimportant births which are not listed as his previous births. In his sixteenth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as Vishvabhuti. Vishvabhuti's father was Vishakhabhuti and his paternal uncle was Vishvanandi. Vishakhabhuti's wife Dharini was his mother. Vishvabhuti was married to thirty-two girls. He had a wife named Madanalekha (Priyangu). This Madanalekha was his paternal aunt. Vishvabhuti had a Vishvanandi.
In his nineteenth previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as Triprushtha. Triprushtha's father was Prajapati and his mother was Mrugavati. Tirthankara Mahavira had several unimportant births after the twenty-first previous birth. Hence no information is available about them. In his twenty-second previous birth, his father was Priyamitra and his mother was Vimala.
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