Mahavir Jivanno Mahima

This document is an excerpt from a book titled "Mahavir Jivanno Mahima" (The Glory of Mahavir's Life) by Bechardas Doshi. It discusses the challenges and requirements for writing an accurate and inspiring biography of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.

The author begins by acknowledging the repeated suggestions from friends to write about Mahavir's life. However, he states that the more he delves into Jain Agamas, Buddhist Tripitakas, and other ancient Indian literature, the more he realizes the difficulty of this task. He emphasizes that a biography should not be unjust to its subject through exaggeration or omission and should offer inspiring and beneficial truth to the readers. He notes that even contemporary biographies often fall short of this ideal.

Key points and arguments made in the text:

• Challenges of Mahavir's Biography: Lord Mahavir is distant from us, making it historically and socially risky to write about his life without extensive preparation. The author distinguishes this from mythological or legendary accounts and focuses on the kind of biography expected in the scientific era.
• Essential Qualities of a Biographer:
  • Sincere Devotion: Unfeigned devotion to Lord Mahavir.
  • Balanced Mental Qualities: A harmonious blend of faith, intellect, equanimity, and memory. Just as physical health depends on the balance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, mental balance is crucial for a writer to do justice to a subject.
  • Faith in Renunciation (Tyagadharma): Belief in and at least six months to a year of sincere practice of the dharma of renunciation.
• Essential Study Material for a Biographer: The author lists an extensive array of subjects that a writer needs to study comprehensively to write a proper biography of Mahavir:
  • Jainism:
    • Historical and sectarian study of Jainism.
    • Study of Ahimsa (non-violence).
    • Clear understanding of Anekantavada (the doctrine of manifold aspects).
    • Complete knowledge of all branches of Jainism, past and present, big and small, existing or extinct.
    • Thorough study of Jain scriptures from original Agamas to commentaries (Niyukti, Bhashya, Churni, Avachurni, Tika, and Tippana).
    • Study of social structures derived from Chedasutras.
    • Comparative study of Karma Shastra and psychology.
    • Biographies of prominent Jain acharyas, especially those who brought about revolutionary changes.
    • Detailed analysis of the astronomy and geography of both Jain branches, as well as the perspectives of Vedic Hindu, Muslim, and Christian religions, and mythological and modern views on these subjects.
    • Personal exploration of Magadh and precise study of every place sanctified by Mahavir's travels.
    • Deep study of all references to heaven and hell in Jain and other religions.
    • Study of heaven and hell from modern and traditional perspectives, including Bengali, Hindi, and Marathi books depicting them.
    • Deep study of ancient etymology (like Nirukta) for understanding terms like "Indra."
    • Study of core ancient texts of all philosophies.
    • Knowledge of Buddhist Pali texts (Tripitakas) and Sanskrit texts of the Mahayana tradition, noting references to Lord Mahavir (Nataputta) and his disciples in Buddhist scriptures. The author points out the remarkable similarity between descriptions of Buddha's birth and Mahavir's birth in texts like the Lalitavistara.
    • Knowledge of Vedas and Vedangas.
    • Contemplation of Upanishads.
    • Study of Mahabharata, Puranas, and Smritis.
    • Study of Grihya Sutras, Kalpa Sutras, and Shrauta Sutras.
    • Investigation of Brahmanas and Aranyakas.
  • Other Religions:
    • Introduction to the Quran.
    • Study of the language and spirit of the Zend Avesta.
    • Study of the Bible.
  • Compilation and Analysis:
    • Chronological compilation of everything written about Lord Mahavir in original Agamas, Niyuktis, Bhashyas, Churnis, Avachurnis, and Tikas.
    • Introduction to Jain texts that narrate Mahavir's life stories.
    • Chronological compilation of all biographies of Lord Mahavir written in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and vernacular languages by both Shvetambara and Digambara traditions, noting additions and alterations in the narratives. The author observes that some stories might have layers of poetic embellishment.
    • Introduction to Jain literature written in Kannada, particularly concerning Mahavir.
    • Good study of what foreign authors have written about Lord Mahavir.
    • Introduction to ancient politics and societal conditions.
    • Some knowledge of linguistics.
    • Detailed study of the lives of founders of all religions.
• Ideal Biography: The author suggests that if such extensive study material is acquired, an individual or a committee can write a highly successful biography. He proposes a "Mahavir Charitra - Sadhana Sangrahāvali" (Collection of Mahavir Biography Resources) series, where scholars write essays on specific aspects, and the distillation of these essays could form an ideal biography. He believes this would also resolve many profound questions and mysteries related to Jainism and clarify its history.
• Holistic Approach: Writing about Lord Mahavir, a benefactor of the world, requires a universal perspective. The author appeals to the monastic community to undertake this task, suggesting that the value of this work is immense, benefiting both self and others.
• Comparison with Buddhist Texts: The latter part of the excerpt includes comparative passages from the Jain Kalpa Sutra (specifically the Acharya Sutra, Bhavana Adhyayana) and the Buddhist Lalitavistara regarding the auspicious events and miraculous occurrences during the birth of Lord Mahavir and Lord Buddha, respectively. This highlights similarities in narrative style and themes, which the author believes a biographer must understand for historical accuracy. The author notes discrepancies in the birth-anointment narratives within Jain tradition itself and between Jain and Buddhist accounts.

In essence, the text outlines a rigorous and scholarly approach to writing a biography of Lord Mahavir, emphasizing the vast scope of research required and the balanced qualities needed in the writer to do justice to the subject.