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Mahavir Jayanti |
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Mahavir is the twenty-fourth Tirthankar. According
to Jain philosophy, all Tirthankaras were born as human beings but they have
attained a state of perfection or enlightenment through meditation and self
realization. They are the Gods of Jain Religion. Tirthankaras are also known as
Arihants or Jinas.
Mahavir was born in 599 BC at Kshatriyakund near modern Patna in Bihar.
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His father, King Siddhartha, and his mother, Queen Trishla, were very religious
people and followers of Lord Parshwanath, the twenty-third Tirthankar. Lord Mahavira,
was an messenger of peace and truth, taught religious values for mankind, which are relevant even today. These include non-violence for
variance resolution, making life free from anxiety and stress by following
reflection.
Mahavir Jayanti
- It is the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the
originator of Jainism. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrited on the first day of the month of Bhadrapad in April and is the main Jain festival of the year.
This festival is celebrated with great pomp and show. All Jain temples dedicated to Lord Mahavira are decorated with flags. In the morning the idol of Lord Mahavira is given a
traditional bath that is called " abhishek". Then it placed in a cradle and carried in a procession around the
" neighbourhood". Drummers, boys with silver staves and arati lamps, bhajan singers, musicians, horses, elephants and tableaux depicting scenes from the life of Lord Mahavira form
a part of the procession.
Tirthankara - One who establishes the four fold order (Monk, Nun, Layman,
and Laywoman) of religion.
Arihant - One who destroys his inner enemies like anger, greed, passion,
ego, etc.
Jina - One who conquers his inner enemies like anger, greed, passion,
ego, etc. The followers of Jina are known as Jains.
Queen Trishla gave birth to Lord Mahavir on Mahavir Jayanti day in 599BC. They
named him Vardhaman (Bardhaman) which means "one who brings prosperity".
56 maidens from Indralok (Heaven) performed holy rituals and danced to celebrate
this auspicious occasion. Attending this ceremony, along with the other gods,
was Indra who carried Vardhaman to Mount Meru, where everyone sang the infant’s
glory.
Mahavir believed in practicing non-violence. He did not use force to control
even wild and dangerous animals. He knew that all living beings understand the
language of love. Though Mahavir was born with worldly comforts and luxuries,
they never attracted him. He lived a simple life. When his parents died, he
decided to become a monk. He had no anger, pride or desires. He practiced
non-violence, truth and celibacy. He did not take anything including food and
water unless it was offered to him.
He suffered a great deal of physical pain and torture from various sources.
Among them, the most severe was the biting by the highly poisonous snake
Chandkaushik. Mahavir remained calm and peaceful in the midst of these torturous
events. He never lost his serenity and never developed hatred for anyone.
As the last Tirthankar, he revived the religious order, or Jain Sangh, of monks,
nuns, shravaks and shravikas. His first disciple, called Gandhars, was
Gautamswami, a well-known Brahmin scholar in that time. Lord Mahavir had eleven
Gandhars, who compiled twelve scriptures based on what Lord Mahavir had taught.
These scriptures are called Agams. They were passed verbally from preceptor to
pupil for a long time. They were put into writing about 890 years after Mahavir.
For 30 years after Kevalgyan, he spread the message of non-violence, truth,
non-stealing, right conduct and non-possession. He advocated against the
barriers of caste, creed and faith. He also talked to protect all living
creatures. He thought that there is no interference of any superhuman or
supernatural being in our lives. Thus, performing any ritual to please Gods is
useless. He spoke against all rituals including those sacrifices of materials
and animals. His sermons encouraged to build a happy and harmonious society.
At the age of seventy-two, in 527 BC, Mahavir left his human body and attained
salvation (Nirvana) at Pavapuri, in the state of Bihar in India. Since then
Pavapuri has become a place of pilgrimage for Jains.
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