Krantdarshishalaka Purush Bhagavan Mahavir

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Krantdarshishalaka Purush Bhagavan Mahavir" by Ranjan Suridev, based on the provided pages:

This text describes Bhagavan Mahavir as a revolutionary visionary with a progressive scientific consciousness. He is considered a foremost among the sixty-three Shalaka Purushas (illustrious individuals) due to his attainment of Samyaktva (right faith, knowledge, and conduct). Mahavir was endowed with exceptional physical and mental faculties, possessing a strong and robust physique described as Vajra-Rishabha Naracha Samhanana. His body was perfectly proportioned and shone with the brilliance of molten gold, embodying the principle that virtues reside where beauty is found. He was an abode of beauty and a treasure of virtues.

Mahavir's life was extraordinary, as he was not born to fulfill any pre-ordained purpose. Recognizing birth as an inevitability in the cycle of existence, he, like ordinary humans, valued it. The text likens the cycle of birth and death to two oxen pulling the cart of worldly existence, with liberation being the opposite pole of this cycle, free from birth and death. The text emphasizes that an individual's pursuit and practice are determined by their level of discernment. Mahavir, being exceptionally discerning, set liberation as his ultimate goal.

Born during the fourth phase of the descending era (Avsarpini) and the third phase of the ascending era (Utsarpini), Mahavir's birth occurred during a time of transition between suffering and happiness. While the Brahmin tradition calls such births "avatars," the Shraman tradition uses "Janma Kalyanaka" (auspicious birth) to emphasize a humanistic perspective, as the term "avatar" implies a non-human, supernatural origin. The Jain view, being humanistic, does not devalue human dignity by attributing it to any power beyond humanity.

Bhagavan Mahavir was born in the sixth century BCE (599 years BCE) on the midnight of the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. He was born in Kundagrama, a city with two parts: Kshatriya Kundagrama and Brahmana Kundagrama. Mahavir's conception initially occurred in a Brahmin's womb but was transferred to a Kshatriya womb, a remarkable event listed as one of the ten "astonishing facts" in the Sthanangasutra. His mother, Rani Trishala, was a Kshatriya, and his father, King Siddhartha, was a Kshatriya. Both were followers of the Shraman tradition of Parshvanatha. Rani Trishala was the sister of Chetak, the chief of the Vaishali republic, and Siddhartha was the ruler of Kshatriya Kundagrama. He had an elder brother named Nandivardhana and an elder sister named Sudarshana. His uncle's name was Suparshva.

During Mahavir's gestation, Kundagrama's prosperity increased, leading his parents to name him Vardhamana. He was born into the Jnatri clan of Kshatriyas, hence also known as Jnatriputra (son of Jnatri).

Mahavir was twenty-eight years old when he lost both his parents. He expressed his desire to become a monk but was persuaded by his elder brother Nandivardhana to wait. At the age of thirty, he renounced worldly life, embarking on his spiritual quest for immortality. He spent over twelve years in severe ascetic practices, facing numerous hardships with fortitude, never deviating from his goal. This earned him the titles of "Veer" (hero) and "Mahavir" (great hero), signifying his mastery over his own indomitable soul. He was a self-mastered Tirthankar. The name Mahavir became most prominent, later etched in history. His father, Siddhartha, belonged to the Kashyapa Gotra, and Mahavir also inherited this prestigious lineage.

The text highlights Mahavir's understanding of the dualities of life, such as pleasure and pain, duty and non-duty, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation. His attainment of this comprehensive knowledge is what qualified him as "Bhagavan" (Lord). Bhagavan Mahavir redefined the traditional concept of non-violence (Ahimsa) in a social context, integrating it with truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity, and non-possession to form the five vows (Panch Mahavrata). His teachings were practical and aimed at the well-being of society. Many philosophers, ascetics, and householders began to embrace his teachings. His philosophical principles are primarily documented through dialogues and question-and-answer sessions with his chief disciple, Sudharmaswami, and his disciple, Jambu-swami.

Mahavir is described as a divine human, radiant with knowledge, whose contemplation was more focused on wisdom than scriptural lore. He was an embodiment of knowledge itself, beyond the knower and the known. The text contrasts "knowledge" (which is like a burning fire) with "scripture" (which is like the ashes left after the fire). While few can withstand the intensity of true knowledge, scriptures are more accessible. Mahavir's words were about knowledge, aiming to alleviate the suffering of beings. While one can manage the ashes of scripture, the fire of knowledge transforms a person. Knowledge, being synonymous with truth, is sharp and penetrating. Truth is always victorious, but its proponents often face opposition.

Mahavir, possessing knowledge rather than mere scriptures, transformed himself like a lotus emerging from mud. After extracting the essence, he shed the scriptural form like husk, becoming a Nirgrantha (unbound). He was also free from mental and physical attachments, remaining unbound in all three aspects. Those around him were inspired to transform themselves through his radiant knowledge. Ironically, opposition to Mahavir came not from the irreligious, but from the self-proclaimed religious – those who worshipped the ashes of scriptures. Yet, as opposition grew, his religious and philosophical principles gained wider acceptance and spread.

Having endured twenty-two types of hardships (Parishahas), Mahavir became a conqueror of nature. He practiced severe austerities for twelve years and six months, remaining absorbed in self-realization. He achieved Keval Gyan (omniscience) on the seventh day of the thirteenth year of his asceticism, becoming one with himself and an embodiment of infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and the supreme pilgrimage. His inner self was constantly active and in self-exploration.

After achieving spiritual perfection, Mahavir gained the ability to know and see all beings and states. His first sermon was delivered to an assembly of gods, which proved fruitless due to their luxurious lifestyle and disregard for vows. He then proceeded to Pava, where a great sacrifice was being performed by a Brahmin named Somila, attended by eleven renowned Vedic scholars, including Indrabhuti. Upon hearing of Mahavir's arrival, the scholars, driven by intellectual pride, came to his assembly with the intention of defeating him.

Indrabhuti harbored doubts about the soul, which Mahavir, a Manahparyaya Gyani (one with telepathic knowledge), revealed and resolved. Indrabhuti was astonished that his deepest thoughts were exposed. His inner self submitted to Mahavir's feet. Mahavir dispelled his doubts by clarifying that the soul and the individual are not synonymous. Indrabhuti and the other ten Vedic scholars, including Agnihuti and Vayubhuti, bowed to Mahavir and became his disciples. Mahavir then instructed them on the six categories of life (Shat Jivanikaya), the five great vows (Panch Mahavrata), and twenty-five disciplines of self-observation (Panchvinshati Bhavana). Indrabhuti, of the Gautama Gotra, became known as Gautama in Jain literature and was the first Ganadhara (chief disciple) and the foremost among Mahavir's disciples.

Mahavir's pure and ascetic speech attracted not only ascetics but also many Brahmins, other ascetics, and wandering scholars. They joined his Panchayami (five-limbed) faith, continuing the Chaturyami (four-limbed) tradition of Bhagavan Parshvanatha. Mahavir added chastity (Brahmacharya) to the four vows of non-violence, truth, non-stealing, and non-possession, thus establishing the five-limbed Dharma. He accepted chastity as a vow to protect society from those who misinterpreted non-possession to justify promiscuity. He emphasized unwavering adherence to vows and stressed the importance of right faith (Samyak Shraddha), believing that with right faith, all elements, whether right or wrong, become right.

Mahavir's declaration of women's right to become nuns and achieve liberation demonstrated his unique resolve. He established a society free from class and caste distinctions, emphasizing equality. He proclaimed social revolution through non-violence, economic revolution through non-possession, and ideological revolution through non-absolutism (Anekanta). These are considered his groundbreaking social insights, as no seeker of self can afford to ignore the fundamental aspects of social order. By bestowing social honor upon the downtrodden and instilling a sense of self-respect, he elevated individuals, including those considered outcastes like Harikeshi, to the status of equals.

Mahavir used the contemporary vernacular language, Prakrit, for his teachings, reflecting his democratic approach. His era was characterized by ritualism, and the trauma of the Mahabharata war still lingered, with people seeking solace. Various philosophers offered different paths to salvation, but the Shraman tradition opposed such deviations. After the passing of Bhagavan Parshvanatha, there was a lack of a strong leader, and the Shraman tradition's voice did not capture public attention effectively. The revolutionary Shalaka Purusha, Mahavir, revitalized that voice and made it more accessible to the masses, making his principles highly relevant for national welfare today.

His acceptance of women's right to liberation was a significant departure from the Digambara tradition, which believed women could only attain liberation after being reborn as men. Mahavir was a living embodiment of Dharma and conduct. His unparalleled self-control inspired the Magadha emperor Shrenik (Bimbisara) to become his follower. Although Emperor Shrenik was initially a follower of Bhagavan Buddha, his queen Chelanā became a disciple of Mahavir. Both of them remained steadfast in their principles regarding the embrace of outcasts and the equality of women, ultimately leading the emperor to embrace Jainism.

The text also mentions the republic of Vaishali, comprising eighteen member-kings, including nine Mallis and nine Licchavis, all of whom were followers of Mahavir's Dharma. At that time, state-sanctioned religion held greater importance, and the concept of rulers embracing a faith naturally attracted them. Jainism strived to make society its follower and emphasized adherence to vows. Mahavir's code of ethics for the moral, ethical, and mental upliftment of society holds historical and eternal significance. His disciples included fourteen thousand monks and thirty-six thousand nuns, with Mahasati Chandanbala leading the nuns.

The text notes that King Shrenik's marriage to Chelanā was a diplomatic alliance. All of Chetanā's sons-in-law were initially Jains, and Shrenik himself later became a Jain. Chetanā's son, Kanika (Ajatashatru), engaged in a fierce battle with Chetak, but Chetak continued to uphold his vows even in the battlefield. Vaishali, a confederation of republics, had King Chetak as its prominent leader, who held a special place among Jain lay followers. He adhered to the twelve vows of a lay follower (Dvadasa Anuvrata). He had seven daughters, whom he would only marry to Jain grooms.