________________
Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsun Gyanmandir
In his twenty-third previous birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a son of Kin Dhananjaya and queen Dharini. Dhananjaya was the king of the city of Muka in Mahavidah Region. His son was named Priyamitra. Priyamitra became supreme ruler (Chakravarti). He wae married to many princesses. Like other universal rulers, he had sixty-four thousand wives. A last, he renounced the world and became a Jaina monk. He was a pupil of Acharya Pottila
In his twenty-fifth birth, Tirthankara Mahavira was born as a son of king Jitashatru and queen Bhadra. His name was Nandana. He gave his kingdom to his son and became a laina monk. His spiritual teacher was Acharya Pottila. In this birth, Tirthankara Mahavira practised special austerity called Visa-Sthanaka and as a result of it bound tirthankara-namakarma, a type of karma which secures for the practitioner its fruit, tirthankarahood.
The twenty-seventh birth was Tirthankara Mahavira's last birth. His soul descended in to the womb of Devananda and remained there for eighty-two days. Devananda's husband was Rushabhadatta. After eighty-two days, the embryo was transferred from Devananda's womb to Trishala's womb. It was Trishala who gave birth to Mahavira. Tirthankara Mahavira's father (Trishala's husband) was Siddhartha, the king of Kshatriyakunda. In scriptures two other names of Siddhartha are available. They are : Shreyamsa and Yashasvin.
Even queen Trishala had two other names. They are available in scriptures. They are : Videhadatta and Priyakarini. The name of prince Vardhamana's (Mahavira's) Suparshva. The name of Vardhamana's elder brother was Nandivardhana.
Many names of Venerable Mahavira are available in scriptures. When he was born, there was remarkable increase in happiness, peace and prosperity in the kingdom. So his parents gave him the name Vardhamana. A god who assumed the form of a goblin to test bravery and strength of child Vardhamana, at last surrendered himself to Vardhamana and bowed down before him.. So he was called by the name Mahavira. In ancient times a person was known by the name of the family lineage. So Vardhamana is mentioned by the name mata-nandana or jnata-putra. A person was also known by the name of his city. So the Jaina canonical work Sutrakrutanga employs the name Vaishalika for Mahavira. As he was free from the knot of attachment and aversion, he was also known by the name Nirgrantha. On account of his long severe austerities, he was well known as Shramana. In Kalpasutra there occurs the name Videha and in Digambara works there occurs the name Sanmati. For people he was Devara. Tirthankara Mahavira was contemporary of Gautama Buddha. In Buddhist works. Tirthankara Mahavira is mentioned by the following names - Nataputa, Nataputta, Nayaputta and Nigantha.
The name of Mahavira's wife was Yashoda. His daughter had two names - Anavadya and Priyadarshana. His daughter's daughter also had two names -- Sheshavati and Yashasvati. Prince Vardhamana's maternal uncle was Chetaka. King Chetaka had seven daughters - 1. Prabhavan
168
For Private And Personal Use Only
