PREVIOUS BIRTHS OF LORD MAHAVIR

It is said that a soul attains liberation after countable births after it attains samyak darshana (Right View). Jainism declares the hallmark of a person who has the right vision are, spiritual calmness (Prasanna), desire for liberation from the endless birth-life-death cycles (Samvega),without any attachment or aversion to anything (Nirveda), kindness (Anukampa), and belief in these fundamental principles (Astikya). After attaining Right View, the soul attains liberation after few births either by becoming a Tirthankar or by becoming ordinary Arihant.

If we glance in Lord Mahavir’s previous births then we would know that the soul of Lord Mahavir attained Right View in his birth as Nayasar. Before being born as Nayasar, the soul had transmigrated through infinite births but after attaining Right View in Nayasar’s birth the soul that became Lord Mahavir attained Liberation after 26 more births. So there were total 27 births along with Nayasar’s birth. Below is the list describing Lord Mahavir’s 27 births.

1. Nayasara – A village headman who secured samyaktva or partial enlightenment in this birth on account of preaching of true dharma by Jain monks

2. Birth in the 1^st Celestial World (Heaven) called Saudharma

3. Prince Marichi – Grandson of Rsabha, the first Tirthankara and Son of King Bharata

4. Birth in the 5^th Celestial World called Brahmloka

5. Kaushika – A Brahmin

6. Pushyamitra – A Brahmin

7. Bith in the 1^st Celestial World called Saudharma

8. Agnidyota – A Brahmin

9. Birth in the 2^nd Celestial World called Ishaan

10. Agnibhuti – A Brahmin

11. Birth in the 3^rd Celestial World called Sanatkumar

12. Bharadwaja – A Brahmin

13. Birth in the 4^th Celestial World called Mahendra

14. Sthavira – A Brahmin

15. Birth in the 5^th Celestial World called Brahmloka

16. Prince Vishvabhuti

17. Birth in the 7^th Celestial World called Mahashukra

18. Triprishtha Vasudeva – First Vasudeva of this half-time-cycle

19. Birth in the 7^th Hell called Mahatamaha Prabha (pitch dark hued)

20. A lion

21. Bith in the 4^th Hell called Panka Prabha (Mud Hued)

22. A human being (Name unknown)

23. Priyamitra – A Chakvartin (The universal ruler of seven continents)

24. Birth in the 7^th Celestial World called Mahashukra

25. Prince Nandana – Accepted the vow of self control and gained Tirthankara nama karma

26. Birth in the 10^th Celestial World called Pranat

27. Birth as Tirthankar Lord Mahavir, the final birth

Note: Between the births 5^th as Kaushika Brahmin and 6^th as Pushyamitra Brahmin, the soul transmigrated through countless births as insects, animals, plants, birds etc. Those births are not counted in Lord Mahavir’s 27 births. Again after the 21^st birth as a hellish being in the fourth hell the soul had taken countless births as insects, animals, plants, birds etc and those births are not counted.