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KAMATĀ PRASADA JAIN
ed no tioge of fear. Cobra used its all ferocious strength to subdue the hero Vardbamāna, but it happened otherwise Having been subdued by the great strength and courage of the Jñatra Prince, Sangame the celestial being appeared in its true form before Vardhamāna and paying homage to the Conqueror, called Him by the name of Mabävira (the Great Hero),
In fact Prince Vardhamana possessed at unique supreme personality. A great scron af Jhātra Ksatriya clan, born among the free people of the great Vajjian republic, He was brave and virtuous, plous and cbaste and Cherished a very great tender regard for causing good and 10 harm to every living being. He saw around Hun great wrongs in each and every walk of life and could not sit idle at home, enjoying sensual gratification A youth of thirty as He was, He showed great courage in renouncing world? and He underwent all sorts of hardships and sufferings for full twelve years. Once He was standing silent merged in deep and pure meditation in the cemetry ground of Ujjain, the Rudra couple happened to pass by Him. Stark naked as He was, the couple
naked as He was, the couple took ill and caused all sorts of sufferings to Him, which He bore with unflinching courage, peace of mind and ima mense love His forbearance and love appealed to the heart of Rudra, the ferocious, who fell in His feet and begged pardon for his misdeed * Nudity is garb of Nature. Passions maale people sinful and they abhor pudity, hiding sins and shame in the deluding garbs of etiquette. Rudra's heart was not pure, but he took no time to make out his mistake and he paid homage to the great hero Vardhamāna Out of gratitude and in order to declare in the world, the greatness of the hero, he called Vardhamăna by Dame Ativira Mahavira ( the Greatest Hero among the Great Heroes)' Such is the traditional account about the different names of the last Tirthankara which is sufficient to satisfy a true believer But the fact that the Lord came to be known singularly by the name of Mabāvīra must have a great significance hidden 10 it. So Let us try to have a glimpse of it.
We are told that Hero (VÍRA) He was, because He made one and all
5.5. Pemeru Mare: martie ETRIT Awarz HETIC EFETTA TENTA: 11324 d
NY 11 EUR 6 A reference of Verddhamāna's great personality is made so the famous 18&cription of Häthigumphá cave
7. Kalpasūtra, IS (SBE), Pt I, pp. 260-262 & Uttarapurana, Sarga 74. 8 "Fru File : AKTIF?!
स महाति, महावीराख्या कृत्वा विषिषा स्तुतीः ॥ ३३६ ॥ ४ ॥ उत्तरपुराण.
See also Asaga-Kaos, loc. cited; XVII, 126 9 'णिसंसयको वीरो, महापारो जितमो। राग-दोस-मयादादो धम्मतियास कारओ 19€ 11'57491, , 12
