Mahavir

Mahavir, also spelled Mahavira, is the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism and a central figure in both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions. He is traditionally regarded as Vardhamāna before his spiritual awakening, born into a royal Kshatriya family in Kundagrama near Vaishali in present-day Bihar, around 599 BCE.

At age 30, he renounced his princely life to seek spiritual truth, embracing severe ascetic practices. After about 12 years of rigorous penance, he attained kevala jnana (omniscience) and became a Tirthankara, a ford-maker who revives the Jain doctrine for the world. He spent roughly three decades teaching, preaching, and establishing the Jain community and its ethical framework.

Mahavir’s core teachings emphasize non-violence (ahimsa) and non-possessiveness, truthful speech, and other ethical precepts. The Jain path centers on right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, guiding followers to overcome karma, attachment, and greed in order to attain moksha (liberation). The five great vows for laypeople and monks are ahimsa, satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy or chastity), and aparigraha (non-attachment).

According to tradition, Mahavir attained moksha at Pavapuri (Pawa) in present-day Bihar, circa 527 BCE, at about age 72. His life and sermons form the doctrinal core of Jainism and continue to influence its ethical practice and philosophy.

His legacy persists in Jain worship, art, and scholarship; his life is commemorated on Mahavira Jayanti. The Jain community is primarily divided into Digambara and Śvetāmbara sects, both tracing their lineage to his teachings. In Jain iconography, Mahavir is typically depicted in meditation with the emblem of the lion.