Shree Mahavir Bhagwan: Life Stories of the Twenty-fourth Tirthankara

Shri Mahavir Swami - An Extraordinary Personality

The twenty-four Tirthankaras are considered the highest among the sixty-three Shalaka Purushas (human beings with extraordinary, super human energies and accomplishments.). Among such Tirthankaras, Shri Mahavir Bhagwan was the last Tirthankara of this time cycle, who lived just 2500 years ago. The atoms of Lord Mahavir are still present on our Earth, and that is why we all feel a stronger attraction towards Him and also have a wealth of information about His life. We possess the complete life story of Lord Mahavir along with many details of His previous lives, which is available to a much lesser extent for the other Tirthankaras.

Among all the Tirthankaras, Bhagwan Mahavir was called ‘Mahavir’ - the highly courageous one! He faced His karmas with immense courage. Extremely intense and terrifying karmas came upon Him, the kind that are not typically seen in the lives of other Tirthankaras, but were destined for Mahavir Swami. The reason for this was that He was the last Tirthankara, and the fourth era of the current time cycle was nearing its end. It was the transitional period between the conclusion of the fourth era and the beginning of the fifth era. Only three and a half years were left for the fifth era to begin after the Lord’s Nirvana. The signs of the surrounding environment very closely resembled the fifth era. Bhagwan carried extremely densely packed karmas. During His time, many astonishments took place.

Lord Mahavir has become such an extraordinary personality that no one can truly be compared to Him. All Tirthankaras are indeed equal, but the strength and inner power with which Lord Mahavir endured and exhausted His karmas were truly of a unique and unparalleled kind. His karmas were of entirely different nature, and He too rose to an extraordinary state to overcome them and attain liberation. That is why the celestial beings honoured Him with the title ‘Mahavir’. The title ‘Mahavir’ is not an ordinary one.

The life and character of Lord Mahavir gives us immense strength to endure with patience and courage. What incredible forbearance He had! In fact, the word endurance seems far too limited or modest when used for Tirthankaras, their inner strength goes far beyond what words can express. They possessed immense equanimity and absolute detachment. Not even a single atom of Theirs would be disturbed. They remain established in the Self, not swayed in the slightest. How immense Their powers must have been! All Tirthankaras possessed these powers, but in the life of Lord Mahavir, they were visibly manifested.

How fortunate those must have been who got to witness the life of Bhagwan Mahavir! And even more supremely fortunate were those who developed true devotion towards Bhagwan Mahavir, surrendered themselves to Him, and through that surrender, attained their own spiritual upliftment! Freeing themselves from the endless cycle of birth and death and embarking on the path to liberation. Some even attained Keval Gnan (Absolute Knowledge) and ultimately achieved liberation. Blessed are those humans who came with such immensely powerful, merit-bound merits.

Lord Mahavira had twenty-seven past births. Let us read in detail about His past lives in two parts: first to the seventeenth birth and eighteenth to the twenty-seventh birth.

All Tirthankaras are born as Kshatriyas, but due to the utsutra prarupana fault in His birth as Marichi, Lord Mahavira had to reside in the womb of a Brahmin woman. Later, the celestial beings transferred embryo from the Brahmin woman's womb with the womb of Mother Trishala, an event which is counted among the ten great astonishments, extraordinary phenomena that never happen in the normal course of nature.

At the age of twenty-eight, Mahavir Prabhu’s parents passed away. Two years later, after His brother Nandivardhan recovered from shock, the Lord took Diksha. One year before taking Diksha, the Lord began giving varshidaan. In his thirtieth year, the grand Diksha ceremony took place. The moment He took Diksha, Lord Mahavira attained Manahparyav Gnan (the knowledge of, and ability to read, the phases of the minds of others).

Many upsargas (externally induced afflictions/sufferings) came into the life of Veer Prabhu. No other Tirthankara had to face as many upsargas. Among the many upsargas faced by Lord Mahavira, three of the most intense were - the freezing cold upsarga by the Vyantari Devi Katputna, the terrifying six-month-long series of upsargas by Sangam Dev, and the upsarga where a cowherd pierced his ears with thorns.

On the banks of the Rujuvalika river, under a Saal tree, Bhagwan attained Keval Gnan. After attaining Keval Gnan, He gave Deshna (liberating speech of the Arihant, the fully Enlightened One) for thirty years. In the end, after delivering Deshna for continuously 72 hours, Bhagwan attained Nirvana in his 72nd year. He spent 30 years in worldly life, and His ascetic life lasted twelve and a half years.

After the Nirvana of Lord Mahavir, Gautam Swami gave sermon for 12 years. After Gautam Swami's Nirvana, the fifth Ganadhar (principle disciple of a Tirthankar Lord) and Keval Gnani, Sudharma Swami, carried on this. After Sudharma Swami's Nirvana, the last Kevali (the One with Absolute Knowledge), Jambu Swami, continued to give sermons for many years. After Jambu Swami attained Moksha, the doors of Moksha were closed.

Bhagwan has attained Moksha, but we still have His Knowledge with us. We have Lord’s Knowledge of the eternal elements and all the paths that lead to liberation. Not only that, but there have also been Gnanis (the One who has realized the Self and is able to do the same for others) in whose hearts the exact Knowledge of the Lord, just as it is, has manifested. Such Gnanis have existed in the past, exist in the present, and will continue to exist in the future.

Lessons from the Life of Shri Mahavir Swami

The religion of Shri Mahavir Bhagwan is such that it transforms one into a Mahavir. It is a teaching that transforms one into the embodiment of Keval Gnan. Bhagwan instructed that pratikraman (to confess, apologize and resolve not to repeat a mistake) should be done every moment. If not every moment then one should do it every day in the morning and at night; if that is also not possible then once every fortnightly, and if not that, then it should be done once every four months. In the end, if none of this is possible, one should at least do a Samvatsari pratikraman (pratikraman done once a year). If we see our own faults, we shall feel lighter within, we shall be free from those faults. The fault itself does not count as sin, the real wrongdoing is not doing pratikraman for it.

Bhagwan gave the profoundly elevated teaching of ‘Ahimsa Parmo Dharma’ (non-violence is the ultimate Religion). Knowingly or unknowingly, we may be committing violence every day, from gross physical harm to the subtlest forms of hurt. Unintentional violence can be dealt with later, but it is important that we consciously avoid any form of intentional violence. At home or in the office, we must be mindful that no one is hurt because of us. It is worth learning how to reduce attachment-abhorrence, and inner Kashayas (inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit and greed) toward one another, and how to live with love and oneness with everyone.

Bhagwan gave the fifth Mahavrat (major vow) of Brahmacharya (celibacy through the mind, speech and body). He taught that true happiness does not lie in sensual pleasures, but in the Self - and that we must shift our opinion accordingly. Indulging in illegitimate sensual pleasures is a grave sin; through adultery, one only earns hell as their fate, nothing else. Our commitment to Brahmacharya must never waver.

Among the twelve types of penances, people observe only external fasting with great sincerity, but that alone is not enough. Outwardly they may sincerely remain hungry, yet inwardly their mind may wander far away from the purpose. Fasting causes an intense surge of ego, when everyone asks how we’re doing one indulges in a deep sense of pride! If we fast on one side, but on the other side our maan Kashay (pride) intensifies, then how can that work?! Penances are meant to eliminate Kashayas, but instead, the Kashayas are growing stronger! Bhagwan performed all these penances, but did He ever make a show of it to anyone? That is the true meaning of penance. Penances are to be done to exhaust one’s karmas, not for show! Charity should be given discreetly; to give charity secretly, without attaching one's name to it, is the true influence.

Since the last Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira, there have been no Tirthankaras, and no Gnanis either. After Lord Mahavira, in whom the truth naturally manifested from within, the same realization that resided in the hearts of the Tirthankaras arose within them as a result of past karmic fruits, have been very few, countable on fingertips, truly Enlightened Ones, those who have passed teachings related to the fundamental truths on to us.

Let us adopt the very same path that all the Enlightened Ones and all the Tirthankaras have followed and shown. Let us progress on that path and attain the state of liberation. This human life is meant solely for attaining the state of liberation. To make this human birth meaningful, we must not let even a single moment go to waste. Do not waste your extra time in parties, indulgence, or meaningless things. One who dedicates their extra time to their Soul, for them, all of their time becomes devoted to the Soul. When we begin to make proper use of time, we truly feel that this human life is becoming meaningful. Even though we know how precious it is, our time is still being wasted, simply because we do not know how to use it wisely.

We are not passing time; time is passing by us. In the end, the moment will come when we must depart, and at that time we’ll feel like, “I did nothing, I lost everything; I wasted this entire life.” Did everything to earn money, but in the end, nothing remained in our hand. What came in the end was the sentence of death and the dreadful torment of dying! At that moment, nothing will be in our hands. All that we worked so hard for, not even a tiny part of it will help us then. Not even an atom’s worth of goodness from it will add to our inner spiritual wealth. So, awaken, awaken, awaken and recognize the Vitaraag mudra of the Tirthankaras, recognize the Jinamudra (the posture of the Vitaraag Lord), and come into that state; envision it, and with deep feeling, pray that when will I too become completely detached like this, when will I attain the supreme state of Moksha. And make a firm resolve that whatever time is remaining in my life, I will dedicate it solely for Moskha, for the Self alone. I will live only for that purpose.