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Homage to Mahavir |
02 Oct 2011 | |||
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By Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore.
Sixth century before Christ was considered to be an age of enlightenment in India because of the birth of Jainism and Buddhism and that of Mahavir and Buddha in particular. These two religions made a great impact on the socio-religious conditions of the country and even outside. However, Buddhism declined in this land of its birth but made greater impact in South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand etc. It is a religious force to reckon with even now in many of these countries. Jainism had a different course of its development. It attracted a large number of people and it percolated deeply so as to make impact on art, architecture, literature and painting. Karnataka gave maximum patronage to this ancient religion and successive royal dynasties of Karnataka were the votaries of this faith. This heritage is being continued with great vigour by the enlightened pontiffs of Dharmasthala, Shravanabelagola, Huncha etc. Thus Jainsim has a continuous history of more than 2500 years.
Jainism recognises 24 Tirthankaras or elevated souls of which Mahavir was the last. It is an irony that Mahavira, connected to and surrounded by royalty and pomp, became a monk. The present day Bihar was the seat of many royal dynasties of Kshatriya clan. Siddhartha was the ruler of Vaishali and had married princess Trishala. He was living in the city of Kundapura. To the royal couple was born a son named Vardhamana, symbolic of prosperity. His birth was celebrated on a grand scale by the king. Many taxes were abolished; confiscated properties were released; Police were barred from entering houses for enquiries; Judicial fines were withdrawn and prisoners were released from jails. Vardhamana, when he was in the womb of the mother, had decided not to give trouble to his mother and hence stopped movement in the womb. Naturally, this gave rise to the doubt if the child is alive at all. But by gestures, he made his mother feel happy. That was the type of compassion Vardhamana had. Vardhamana grew as a boy with his friends doing many unusual acts. Once he saw a cobra on a tree and removed it from there and protected his friends. His teachers could recognise that the boy had extra-sensory power and knowledge and felt that they had nothing to teach the boy. In course of time as per the desire of his parents, he married princess Yashoda. Though he appeared to be living like a prince with his wife and parents, he was always thinking of the ills of this life and the methods to rectify them and to get enlightenment. But he did not like to hurt his mother on this account. When he requested his mother to permit him to leave the palace, she postponed the issue by saying, 'please give us the pleasure of your company for another two years.' Reluctantly, he agreed but was counting the days. Finally, the day of departure arrived. He took permission from his elder brother and left. The scene of his departure has been graphically described in Jaina texts. Kings, princes, princesses and common people gathered at the palace to witness this event. They had arranged a royal procession and a gold palanquin. He laughed at the royal arrangement made for a person who was proceeding to the forest for obtaining enlightenment. After some distance, he alighted from the golden palanquin and walked alone. He sat under an Ashoka tree and began contemplating on the divinity. He wandered from place to place doing penance. He moved about naked and homeless. People mocked at him, injured him physically and threw pottery at him. In a place called Ladha people set dogs on him. They disturbed his penance. But like a great hero, Vardhamana withstood all these atrocities. He abandoned food for days together and rarely drank even water. During the 13th year of his wandering, he became enlightened (Jina, Arhat, Kevali) at the village Thrimbhaka. Then he started touring with the main intention of propagating the eternal truths he had experienced. Many kings, queens and rich men invited him to accept their hospitality. But Mahavir accepted food from a lowly woman slave who was closer to divinity. Teachings of Mahavir are important and significant. He did not believe in the sacrifices and chanting of mantras of Vedic Hinduism. He laid stress on moral and ethical life and living as human beings in a humane way. He preached three qualities which became famous as three jewels (triratna). They are — right faith, right knowledge and right action. He gave up clothes and this sect is known as Digambaras. Another important teaching of Mahavira is non-violence (ahimsa). He argued that not only human beings, animals and plants, even stones have life. Hence no injury has to be inflicted on both animate and inanimate objects. Mahavir had eleven disciples (Gandharas) of whom ten predeceased him. Sudharma was the surviving one and he arranged for the propagation of Mahavir's teachings. Mahavir's name is also associated with Parshvanatha and Gosala. Thus Mahavir popularised Jainism and made it a religious and cultural force to reckon with under competition from Vedic religion and Buddhism. Hundreds of temples were built for Mahavir all over the country. Most scholars agree that he attained Nirvana in 527 BC. The teachings of Mahavir are more relevant today to the turmoiled world of ours. This is the message of Mahavir Jayanti. |
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The 16th of this month is a special day for our people in general and Jains in particular because it is the birth anniversary of the great Jaina Tirthankara Mahavir and the Government of Karnataka has joined in the celebrations to pay homage by declaring it as a government holiday. 
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