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THE ORIENT
Dushmasushma era of Jainism in 599 B.C.* On the twelfth day. the child was named Vardhamana because "from he moment that this our boy has been begotten, our silvei increased, our gold increased-(Vardhamana). Now oui Wishes have been fulfilled, therelore shall the name of our boy be Vardhamana, (ie the Increasing)".18
Vardhamana, according to Svetambara Jains renounced life after the death of his parents at the age of thirty. Until then he lived the life of a householder. Being mailied to Yashoda he had a daughter by name Anuja. But according to Digambaras he did not enjoy the wedded bliss However, both agree that the great initiation of Mahavira into asceticism took place sometime in 570 or 569 BC. while he was thirty years of age.
Initiation
Before Initiation he fasted for two and a half days and did not touch even a drop of water. He gave up all his proper ty and stripped himself of all ornaments As a proof of ascetic endurance he tore off his hair by the roots which became a most painful custom of the Jainas It indicates that they have no love for flesh or bones According to the Swetambara Jainas Mahavira was born with three degrees of knowledge, yız. Matz Jnana, Sruta Jnana and Avadhi Inana. After Initiation he gained the fourth kind of knowledge, Manahparyaya Jnana He had to attain only the last, Kerala Jnana But the Digambaras contend that he did not attain the fourth jnana until some time after Initiation After Initiation Mahavira wandered homeless from place to place lost in meditation He became indifferent to sorrow, joy, pain and pleasure, eating and drinking occassionally He was so unconscious of his physical body that he cared little for it
Mahayıra felt that a true monk must conquer all his emotions, even shame Being rid of clothes one is rid of lot of other worries Digambaras believe that he abandoned clothes at the time of Initiation while Svetambaras believe that he abandoned his clothes after 13 months of Initiation He patiently bore all physical pain without a murmur 16 Keval Jnana
These wanderings of Mahavira, coupled with the practice of severe asceticism, lasted for 12 years At the end of the period he was fit to attain Keval Jnana or Omniscience In the thirteenth year after his renunciation of the world Mahavira stayed
* There is a controversy about the dates of his birth and death
According to some his birth date is taken as 540 BC
