Birth and Early years of Mahaveera's Life

Lord Mahaveera is the twenty fourth Tirthankara. He was born in 599 BC with three types of knowledge. sensory, scriptural, and clairvoyance at Ksatriyakunda which was a part of the well known Vaishali Republic. His Father was king Siddharta and mother Queen Trishla. They were very religious and followers of lord Parswanatha. He was also Know as Vardhamana, Sanmati, Kashyapa, Jnataputra, Videha, Vaisalika.

Queen Trisla dreamt of fourteen auspicious omens when She conceived Lord Mahaveera

1. An Elephant 2. A bull 3. A lion 4. The goddess Lakshmi 5. Two garlands 6. The moon 7. The sun 8. A flag (dhvaja) 9. A bright golden jug (Kalash) 10. A lake full of lotus flowers 11. The milk ocean 12. An airplane of celesital beings 13. A helps of jewels 14. A somkeless flame

While the queen was pregnant, the prosperity of king Siddharta grew. The parents attributed their prosperity to the baby. So when the baby was born, he was named 'Vardhamana', Which means continously increasing.

He was a very bold child. Once, while playing with his friends a demigod joined them in the disguise of a young boby. According to the rules of the game, Mahaveera was to ride the back of the demigod but soon as he rode over the god's back the god turned into a monster. Mahaveera hit him and overpowered the demigod. The demigod then appeared in his true form and bowing called him Mahaveera for his boldness and exceptional bravery.

Though Mahaveera was born and lived in worldly comforts and luxuries they never attracted him. He lived a simple life and wanted to take ' Diksa ' renouncfe the world, but was requsted by his parents to marry hoping that he might change his reslove. to please them he married princess Yasoda and postponed his decision to take Diksa till his parents were alive so that they be not pained by his Separation from them. He had a daughter named ' Priyadarsana ' who was married to ' Jamali '. He had a Sister called ' Sudarsana '. After his Parents death he was once more requested by his brother Prince ' Nandivardhana ' to defer taking ' Diksha ' for two more years. He acceded to his request.

At the age of thirty, he renounced the world and took Diksa, giving up all his worldly possessions and wealth to the poor and the needy for a year. He practiced server penance and a life of austerity for the more than twelve years. He endured many ' Parisaha ' obstructions, afflictions, and plains on his path of self realisation inflicted by men, celestial beings and the nature but he faced them all with admirable equanimity engrossed in deep meditation.

' Parisahas ' (Pains) inflicted on Lord Mahaveera

1. Indra orevents a cowherd from assaulting Bhagwan Mahaveer :

Bhagwan Mahaveera an embodiment of perfect renunciation, detachment and non violence, once reached the ourskirts of a village called ' Kumaragrama ' in the course of his regular journey and was standing in ' Kayotasarga ', motionless and in deep meditation. A cowherd approached him and asked him to look after his bullocks while the crowherd visited the near by village. On his return he found that the bullocks were missing. He asked Mahaveera about the whereabouts of his bullocks but received no reply form Mahaveera since he was in ' Kayotasarga', The cowherd tried to find his bullocks throughout the night but failed to locate them. In the mornning in the same spot he found the bullocks sitting by the side of the standing saint. Thinking that the saint has purposefully sent him on a fool's errand. he beacme furious and rushed towards him with the intention of thrashing him with his whip. ' Indra ', however, intervened and pacified the cowherd by telling him that ' Mahaveera ' was no ordinary mendicant but prince Vardamana son of king Siddharata, who had taken to monkhood.

2. Yaksha Sulpani's harassment of Bhagwan Mahaveer :

A spiritual aspirant has to face numerous difficulties and obstacles in the course of his pursuit of penance. When Bhagwan Mahaveera came to ' Asthikgrama ', he wanted to spend the night in the temple dedicated to a ' Yaksa ' tortures to death anyone who happens to spend the night in that shrine. But Mahaveera insisted on staying there overnight.

The ' Yaksa ' became enraged and furious as he thought that it was a challenge to his powers. He therefore tried to frighten Mahaveera by assuming various forms, such as that of goblin, an elephant, a cobra, a lion etc. but did not succed. He then tried to pierce his eyes and ears. But Mahaveera Stood unperturbed and quiet. Thus being discomfited, the ' Yaksa ' fell down on his feet and apologized to him. form that day he gave up his wicked nature.

When the villagers saw in the morning they were highly impressed and hailed and greeted him with shouts of
joy and victory.

3. Candkausika, a deadly cobra, enlightend by Mahaveera's compassion

A monk died in a fit of anger and was born as cobra whose eyes emitted venom on anything that came within the vicinity of his vision. Therefore, no one dared to cross the forest that was his habitat.

Mahaveera knew this through his divine knowledge and in order to enlighten the cobra he entered the forest and reached cobra's hole. The cobra rushed out of his hole, hissing and gazing at Mahaveera who stood motionless, in tranquility. Blind with range the cobra bit him on the toe. Milky blood started flowing from with kindness and said, " O Candkaushika ! Be
enlightened and attain peace of mind. " The words had magical effect. Repenting Sincerely for the past sins. he renounced violence completely.

Sudanshtra, a Serpent Prince, Causes havoc in the river

On his way to ' Rajagraha ', Mahaveera crossed river ' Ganga ' in a boat. The serpent prince ' Sudanbore ' a grudge against Mahaveera since he had killed him in the previous birth as a lion. In order to have his revenga settled the serpent prince created cyclone by his magical power. The boat was rocked by the huge waves of ganges, the mast was broken and pandemonium prevailed in the boat. Mahaveera remained seated calmy and serenly deeply absorbed in his ' dhyana '. Two gods of the nether regions ' Kambala and Sambala ' came to know of this misadventure and drove away ' Sudan '. The strom subsided. All aboard the boat realizedthe power of the saint and in deep gratitude bowed before him as the savior of thier lives.

4. ' Sangama ' tests Mahaveera's courage and endurance by twenty servre tests

To annihilate the remaining karma Mahaveera selected the most uncivilized regions inhabited by saveges and aborigines. He arrived at a place called ' Polasacaity '. After observing fast for three days, he began practicing the most severe austerity called ' Mahapratima ' standing in the posture called ' Jina Mudra ' . Throughout the night he stood motionless, absorbed in transcendental meditaiton. ' Indra ' who witnessed all these divine powers extolled and praised Mahaveera for his endurance in the assembly of celestial beings thus in meditation and courage.

' Sangama ' a celestial being, could not believe that a mere human being could have such laudable superhuman abilities. In order to test Mahaveera's courage and enduring prowess, ' Sangama ' created fire and cooked food over his feet. He arranged demigods to distract Mahaveera in his meditations. He tried to distract and disturb his ' dhyana ' in many ways through various means but with no consequence. Ultimately, full of remorse he requested to be forgiven for all the obstacles he created. Compassionate Mahaveera forgave him with moist eyes knowing that ' Sangama ' had earned evil ' Karma ' and would have to pay dearly for his deeds of distractions.

5. The most painful ' Parishah ' :

The last ' Parishah ' was the most painful and tested his strength and fortitude. To take revenge for Mahaveera's deeds in his last birth, one of the cowherds drove nails in both of his ears, which gave him great pain. After few days later when the local doctor drove out the nails, cried in greate pain but bore the same as the saint only could do without abusing the perpetrator or thinking of revenge. He know that for every action there is equal and opposite reaction.

Attaining of Omniscience :

After twelve years of exemplary conduct inpurity of thought, speech and action, he got enlightened at what is today known as ' Pavapuri ', a city in the state of Bihar.
Lord Mahaveera practiced what he preached. His preaching are contained in the forty five scriputers covering the ways and means which ought to be adopted to reach a state of total everlasting happiness. He exhorted his disciples to shun violence completely in thought, speech and deeds and regard every living being as one would regard oneself. Everyone loves his life. No one likes pain or to die. The forty five ' Agamas ' Collections of teachings, which have come from Tirthankaras are twelve Agamas and tweleve Upangas, four mula Sutras Six Cheda Sutra, Culika Sutra, Prakeernaka Agamas.

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