How Mahavira Attained Omniscience (Kevaljnan)

 Life of Spiritual Discipline

When prince Vardhaman was 28 years old, his parents died. Vardhaman decided to leave the family and become ascetic but on his brother’s request he postponed his thoughts for two more years and started practising self-discipline. In the last year, he distributed his personal belongings to the common people every morning. Vardhaman took initiation into the order of the Shramans. He went to a garden called Jnata-shanda-vana on the outskirts of Kshatriyakundapura on the tenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra under the uttarphalguni star during afternoon, surrounded by his relatives and local people. There, at the foot of an Ashoka tree, he took off all his clothes and ornaments, tore out the hair of his head in five handfuls and putting a single holy cloth (Devadushya) on his shoulder, set out all alone on his great quest. At the time of renouncing the world, he took the following vows: “From now on till the end of my life, I will observe equality towards all creatures; I will not do anything sinful either in my mind or speech or body, nor will I get it done by anybody, nor approve of any such thing done by others; I repent of all sins I have committed up to now and desist from them”. So saying, he initiated himself. It is customary with the Jain monks to initiate themselves without taking help from others. At the time of initiation, Vardhaman was on two days fast. It is believed that tirthankaras were born with Mati Jnana, Shruta Jnana and Avadhi Jnana, and acquire the fourth, Manahparyaya Jnana just after initiation and Vardhaman was no exception. When he started from Jnata-shanda-vana, a poor brahmin asked for alms and Vardhaman gave him half of the sacred cloth (Devadushya) which he was carrying on his shoulder. The other half remained for next thirteen months, after which he became completely naked.

Now commenced the period of spiritual discipline in Vardhamana’s life. At the very outset, he took the vow that 1) he would not take care of his body for twelve years, 2)he would quietly endure all obstacles, suffering and pain inflicted by gods, men and animals, and entertain nothing but feelings of forgiveness and equality towards his persecutors. With this resolution, he wandered from place-to-place practising austerities, self-control, continence, forbearance, renunciation and contentment, and reflecting on the path of liberation. He started from Jnata-shanda-vana and reached the village Kummara where he spent the night in meditation. Next morning, he went to a colony called Kollaga where he broke his fast with the alms he received from the house of a Brahmin family named Vahula. After a few months wandering through various places, he arrived at the ashram, called Duijjanta. The head of this ashram was known to his father. Initially Vardhaman thought of spending the rainy season in this ashram, but later he found the place not peaceful and suitable for his staying. He moved away to another village called Asthika where he spent the four months of rainy season.

Shraman Vardhaman observed silence most of his time and practised meditation and hard austerities. He endured all the suffering, pain or persecution with an unflinching firmness. During this period, he conquered hatred, shame and fear. Neither grilling heat nor biting cold could overpower him. He remained absorbed in a constant endeavour to overcome the ocean of karma and free himself from all the bondages creating obstruction. Most of the time he was on fasting and meditating. He fasted for few days, sometimes for fifteen days and even a month. Occasionally he collected only a handful of simple food from neighbouring houses as alms.

From the village Asthika, he travelled various villages and towns and went to a place named Vachala where a venomous serpent was staying. The villagers requested Vardhaman not to move further but he went near the hole where the serpent was staying and fell into deep meditation. The serpent was in great rage and tried to burn him with venom but it failed. Then it bit his feet thrice with no effect. Vardhaman adressed him as “O Chanda Kaushika, listen, it is not too late to mend thyself”. The words sounded familiar to the serpent and it could remember its past lives which was full of misdeeds. Stung by an overpowering remorse, the serpent fell at the feet of the Shraman. Vardhaman gave the serpent spiritual precepts which dissuaded it from pursuing violence. The serpent repented for his miscreants. It  remained immobile and starved for fifteen days after which it died in peace and reached heaven.

Shraman Vardhaman spent his second rainy season in Nalanda. Mankhali Goshalaka, the would-be founder of the Ajivika sect was also in Nalanda as a mendicant. Impressed by Vardhamana’s austerities, contemplation etc., he became his disciple. The third rainy season Shraman Vardhaman spent in Champa. During this period, he practised long meditations and even more difficult austerities. From Nalanda Goshalaka accompanied him everywhere till the fifth year. In the sixth year of wandering, Goshalaka left him, but came back and rejoined him six months later. Goshalaka again left him in the tenth year. Now he proclaimed himself leader of the Ajivika sect.

In the fifth year and in the ninth year, Vardhamana went to the Rarh region Vajrabhumi (Vairabhumi – Birbhum) and Sumhabhumi (Singhabhumi – Singbhum). In these areas he was tortured by the local people but he bore all these inhuman atrocities with calmness. Even Jains scriptures speak of many gods attempting cruel tortures to deflect Vardhaman from his progress towards omniscience. In Jain terminology, they are called Upasargas. Those inflicted by a god named Samgamaka in the eleventh year were the worst and dreadful. At first, Samgamaka gave him terrible physical pain but with no result. Then he accompanied Vardhamana on his begging rounds and contaminated his food. Vardhamana quietly gave up begging and sat in deep meditation. These cruel tortures continued for six months after which he realised his own folly, fell at his feet, begged his forgiveness and returned back. This time, Vardhamana broke his fast after six months at Vrajadham.

At one place, some Government officials thought Vardhaman to be a thief and was about to hang him, but the loop of the cord snapped, seven times in succession; and the officials so surprised and frightened, they let him off.

In the twelfth year of his initiation, Vardhaman went to Kaushambi and took a vow that he would break his fast only when an enslaved princess with a shaven head and fettered feet, in tears and tired out with three days fasting, would offer him boiled pulse from the corner of a window. This kind of extremely difficult vow is called Abhigraha in Jain terminology. After taking this vow, used to go out everyday in the streets of Kaushambi, but could not receive any alms under the conditions given in his vow. In this way, he fasted for five months and twenty-five days and finally, he received some boiled pulses as alms from the hands of Chandana and broke his fast. Chandana was the daughter of Dadhivahana who was the king of Anga. At that time, she was living as a slave girl in the house of a rich merchant.

Vardhamana left Kaushambi and wandering through many villages and towns, came to Champa and spent the four months of the rainy season in the sacrificial house of a Brahmin, named Swatidatta. Swatidatta asked Vardhamana many questions, such as,” What is the soul? What are the nature and characteristics of the soul?” The reply was “I or myself” is the soul.

After the rainy season is over, Vardhamana left Champa and reached a village called Chhammani. Here he stayed on the outskirts of the village and absorbed in meditation. Here a cowherd leaving his bull near Vardhamana went back to the village. On his return, the cowherd could not find his bull as it strayed away from the original place. The cowherd enquired Vardhaman about his bull but receiving no reply, he became wild with rage and plugged wooden pieces into his ears. The ears got swollen with terrible pain but Vardhamana remained placid in mind and continued his stay for some more time. From Chhamani he went to Madhyam Pawa where a physician, named Kharaka noticed the condition of his years. He took out the plugs and cured the wound.

Mahavira passed more than twelve long years in illumining and perfuming his soul with an unbeatable knowledge, matchless vision, unparalleled conduct, simplicity, forbearance and forgiveness, freedom, silence, contentment, truth, self-discipline and askesis. In the thirteenth year of his yogic life, in course of his wandering through the outskirts of the village called Jambhira, situated on the bank of the river Rijuvaluka, near the temple of a Yaksha named Vaiyavritta, in the fields of a man named Samaga (Shyamaka), on the tenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Vaishakha, in the fourth prahar of the day, under the auspices of the star Uttarphalguni, at the foot of a shala tree, in the state of a two days fast and deep meditation, Vardhaman attained Kevaljnana, the absolute knowledge or omniscience. The trumpets of the gods sounded in the heaven.

“Then the Shraman Vardhaman became Arhat, Jina, Kevali, all-knowing and all seeing. He knew and saw the grades and mutations of all the worlds including gods, human and titans. The coming, staying and departing of all creatures, their passing from one birth to another, their life in heaven or hell, their reasoning, mental thoughts and their deeds and enjoyments, their overt or secret acts – all became objects of his unbarred vision. Nothing remained hidden from him, nor he needed any secrecy for himself. He wandered on, knowing and seeing all the actual tendencies and attitudes of minds, speeches and bodies of all creatures in the world.” (Kalpasutra 121)