Mahavir Jayanti

Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak
Vardhaman Mahaveer image at Keezhakuyilkudi, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India.
Also called Translation: Birth Anniversary of Lord Mahaveer; Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak
Observed by Jains
Type Religious, India (National holiday)
Significance Birth Anniversary of Mahaveer
Celebrations Going to the Jain Temple
Observances Prayers, religious rituals
Date Chaitra Sud Triyodashi (Vira Nirvana Samvat)
2017 date 9 April[1]
2018 date 29 March 2018[2]
Frequency annual

Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak, is one of the most important religious festivals for Jains. It celebrates the birth of Mahaveer, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of Avasarpiṇī.[lower-alpha 1] As per the Gregorian calendar, the holiday occurs either in March or April.[3]

Birth

Most modern historians consider Vasokund as Mahaveer's birthplace.[4] According to Jain texts, Mahaveer was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra in the year 599 BCE (Chaitra Sud 13).[5][6] Mahaveer was born in a democratic kingdom (Ganarajya), Vajji, where the king was chosen by votes. Vaishali was its capital.[7]

Mahaveer was named 'Vardhamana', which means "One who grows", because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth.[8] In Vasokund, Mahaveer is much revered by the villagers. A place called Ahalya bhumi has not been ploughed for hundreds of years by the family that owns it, as it is considered to be the birthplace of Mahaveer.[7]

Birth legend

Sixteen auspicious dreams seen by the mother of all Tirthankara

Mahaveer was born into Ikshvaku dynasty as the son of King Siddhartha of Kundagrama and Queen Trishala. During her pregnancy, Trishala was believed to have had a number of auspicious dreams, all signifying the coming of a great soul. Digambara sect of Jainism holds that the mother saw sixteen dreams which were interpreted by the King Siddhartha.[9] According to the Svetambara sect, the total number of auspicious dreams is fourteen. It is said that when Queen Trishala gave birth to Mahaveer, Indra, the head of heavenly beings (devas) performed a ritual called abhisheka, this being the second of five auspicious events (Panch Kalyanakas), said to occur in the life of all Tirthankaras.[10]

Celebrations

Ancient image of Mahaveer at Thirakoil

The idol of Mahaveer is carried out on a chariot, in a procession called rath yatra.[11] On the way stavans (religious rhymes) are recited.[12] Statues of Mahaveer are given a ceremonial anointment called the abhisheka. During the day, most members of the Jain community engage in some sort of charitable act. Many devotees visit temples dedicated to Mahaveer to meditate and offer prayers.[13] Lectures by monks and nuns are held in temples to preach the path of virtue as defined by Jainism. Donations are collected in order to promote charitable missions like saving cows from slaughter or helping to feed poor people. Ancient Jain temples across India typically see an extremely high volume of practitioners come to pay their respects and join in the celebrations.

Ahimsa runs and rallies preaching the Mahaveer's message of Ahiṃsā (non-violence of non-injury) are taken out on this day.[14][15][16]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ descending half of the worldly time cycle as per Jain cosmology which is actually current now

Citations

  1. ↑ "2017 Marathi Calendar Panchang".
  2. ↑ "March 2018 Marathi Calendar Panchang".
  3. ↑ Gupta, K.R. (2006). Concise Encyclopaedia of India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 1001. ISBN 9788126906390. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Row over Mahaveer's birthplace". The Times of India.
  5. ↑ (India), Gujarat (1975). Gazetteers: Junagadh. p. 13.
  6. ↑ Kristi L. Wiley: Historical Dictionary of Jainism, Lanham 2004, p. 134.
  7. 1 2 Jalaj 2011, p. 4.
  8. ↑ Kailash Chand Jain 1991, p. 32.
  9. ↑ Pannalal Jain 2015, p. 460.
  10. ↑ Pramansagar, Muni (2008), Jain tattvavidya, India: Bhartiya Gyanpeeth, p. 30, ISBN 978-81-263-1480-5
  11. ↑ "Piety marks Mahaveer Jayanthi". Deccan Herald.
  12. ↑ "Both sects of Jain community take out attractive joint procession". Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Mahaveer Jayanti 2015: The importance of a Satvik meal", NDTV, 2 April 2015, archived from the original on 4 April 2016
  14. ↑ "Jain youth to hold vegan promotion rally on Mahaveer Jayanti in pink city Jaipur". merinews.com. 28 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Jains gear up for Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak tomorrow". dnaindia.com. 1 April 2015.
  16. ↑ Staff Reporter (30 March 2015). "Over 900 run for spreading Bhagwan Mahaveer's message". The Hindu.

Sources

  • Jain, Kailash Chand (1991), Lord Mahāvīra and His Times, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0805-8
  • Jain, Pannalal (2015), Uttarapurāṇa of Āchārya Guṇabhadra, Bhartiya Jnanpith, ISBN 978-81-263-1738-7
  • Jalaj, Dr. Jaykumar (2011), The Basic Thought of Bhagavan Mahavir, Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay, ISBN 978-81-88769-41-4
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