Bhagavan Mahavira - His Life and Doctrines
Summary
The article "Bhagavan Mahavira - His Life and Doctrines" by K. C. Lalwani examines the life and teachings of the 24th Tirthankara of the Jainas, situating him among the religious reformers of the sixth century B.C. The author argues that Mahavira was not the founder of Jainism, which has deep antiquity rooted in the first Tirthankara, Rsabha, mentioned in the Rig Veda X. 166. Instead, Mahavira unified 363 rival Sramana schools in Bihar, including the remnants of the earlier order of Parsva, and was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. The text refutes the claim that Jainism is merely an offshoot of Buddhism, citing the independent and earlier origins established by the researches of Hermann Jacobi and George Buehler. Mahavira belonged to the Jnatr clan of the Vajjis confederacy, with his mother being the sister of king Cetaka of the Haihaya dynasty. His life, as recorded in the Kalpa Satra by Bhadrabahu, details his birth in 599 B.C., his renunciation at age 28, enlightenment at 42, and nirvana at 72 at Madhyama Pava near Nalanda. The article further discusses Mahavira's metaphysics, which rejects the illusion of the material world in favor of an eternal reality expressed as utpada-dhrauvya-vyaya, and his ethical framework of the five words: non-violence, non-falsehood, non-sex, non-theft, and non-accumulation, with ahimsa being the highest religion for self-determination.
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Conclusion
This article establishes Bhagavan Mahavira as a pivotal spiritual leader who unified existing Sramana traditions rather than founding Jainism, which possesses deep antiquity. By positioning Jainism as an independent system distinct from Buddhism and Brahmanism, the text recontextualizes Indian religious history. Mahavira’s metaphysics, centered on the eternal reality of the universe and the soul’s liberation through rigorous self-effort, underscores the doctrine of *utpada-dhrauvya-vyaya*. His ethical framework, epitomized by the five vows and the supreme principle of *ahimsa*, promotes absolute personal and social responsibility, empowering individuals to become architects of their own destiny. Ultimately, Mahavira’s life and teachings offer a profound paradigm of active transcendence and self-determination, significantly shaping the spiritual and philosophical landscape of India.