Mahavir Jayanti : All you need to know...

S Venkateshwari
Mahavir Jayanti: Everything you should know...

The Jain community celebrates Mahavir Jayanti, which commemorates the birth anniversary of Jainism's founder, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, to promote harmony, peace, and the teachings of Mahavira, the religion's 24th Tirthankara. For the Jain community, Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most auspicious holidays since jainism emphadata-sizes the promotion of world peace and harmony, wherever living things experience little to no damage. 

According to Jains, every cycle of the Jain cosmology is guided by the tirthankaras, and jainism is an eternal religion (sanatan) (dharma). The motto of jainism is Parasparopagraho Jīvānām, which means "the function of souls is to help one another." The most popular and fundamental prayer in jainism is the Ṇamōkāra mantra.

Date: This year's Mahavir Jayanti falls on april 21, 2024.

Background and importance:

Mahavir was born in Kundalagrama, Bihar, on the thirteenth day of the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra, also known as the thirteenth day of the waxing moon. At birth, he was the son of king Siddhartha and queen Trishala. However, there is considerable disagreement regarding his exact birth year. The Swetambar Jains claim he was born in 599 BC, while the Digambar Jains think it was in 615 BC.

Mahavir gave up his crown and all of his material belongings when he was thirty years old in order to pursue a spiritual path. Before achieving "Kevala Jnana," or omniscience, he lived an austere life for around 12 years in exile, abstaining from all worldly pleasures. For this reason, he was also known as Sage Vardhamana and advocated for non-violence (ahimsa). His remarkable ability to regulate his senses gave rise to his moniker. At seventy-two years old, he reached enlightenment, or Nirvana, after searching for the truth and spiritual liberation.

Mahavir was a follower of the teachings of satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), aparigraha (non-attachment), brahmacharya (chastity), and ahimsa, or non-violence. Mahavir's principal pupil, Indrabhuti Gautama, collected his teachings.





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