Bhagavan Mahavira and Jainism
By: Dr. Ramanlal C.
Published ‑ Jain Society
of Metro Washington
Mahavira and Jainism
Jainism is one of the
greatest and the oldest religions of the world, though it is not known
much outside India. Even in India, compared to the total population of
India, Jainism at present is followed by a minority of the Indian
population amounting to about four million people. Yet Jainism is not
unknown to the scholars of the world in the field of religion and
philosophy, because of its highest noble religious principles.
Though followed by
relatively less people in the world, Jainism is highly respected by all
those non‑Jainas who have studied Jainism or who have come into contact
with the true followers of Jainism. There are instances of non‑ Jaina
people in the world who have most willingly either adopted Jainism or have
accepted and put into practice the principles of Jainism. Though a
religion of a small minority, Jainism is not the religion of a particular
race, caste or community. People from all the four classified communities
of ancient India; Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra have followed
Jainism. In the principles of Jainism, there is nothing which would debar
a person of any particular nation, race, caste, community, creed, etc.,
from following Jainism. Hence Jainism is a Universal Religion.
The followers of Jainism
are called Jainas. The word "Jaina" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Jina."
One who follows and worships Jina is called a Jaina. Etymologically "Jina"
means the conqueror or the victorious. Those who have conquered all their
passions and have attained perfect liberation of their soul from the cycle
of birth and death are called "Jina."
A "Jina" who
spirituality leads and guides his followers is called "Tirthankara."
According to Jainism the time is cyclic. One cycle of time, consisting of
six parts of ascendance and six parts of descendance, has more than
millions of million years, and in one such ascendance or descendance of
cycle, there are twenty‑four such Tirthankaras. In the present cycle of
time, the first Tirthankara is Bhagavan Rishabhadeva or Adinatha and the
last Tirthankara is Bhagavan Mahavira.