The subtlety, depth, and vastness of Bhagvān Mahavir’s philosophy is a blessing to humanity—subtle in its ability to draw us inwards, and vast in its comprehensive outlook. He did not just offer moral instructions; he offered profound insights into how humans can perceive all creation as equal and act with responsibility.
Mahavir’s philosophy, and the foundations of previous 23 Jain Teerthanakars that he built upon, is one of the oldest and most sophisticated that continues to guide modern conversations on non-violence and pluralism. He gave us a new way of seeing in which non-violence became the measure of a civilized society.
Of all the gurus, Bhagvān Mahavir trusted the human beings with the most autonomy. He did not talk about gods, divine interventions, or any shortcuts to liberation. Instead, Mahavir challenged us, reminding us of the wonderful agency each one of us has, to refine our inner ethics.
Prince Vardhaman was born near Vaishali in present day Bihar (India) in 599 BCE, as per most accounts. When he turned 30, he became a sannyasi (ascetic) and spent the next twelve years meditating on the deepest secrets of the ultimate truth of existence. Three of those years were standing meditation, and he did not speak for the entire twelve. It was during this time that he attained keval-jñāna (enlightenment), under a Sal tree, at the banks of river Rijubalika. For the following thirty he traveled across India, from east to west, teaching the insights he had realized. Mahavir overlapped with Buddha for a few years, but there is no record of them ever meeting. However, historical accounts note that some disciples learned from both teachers.
The heart of Mahavir’s philosophy—ahimsa—was not just about physical violence. He reached deep into the psyche. For Mahavir, violence started in the mind; in thoughts.
The central idea of Mahavir’s teaching was that a human being is born perfect, but gets self-limited and diminished in the grip of karma. He assured us that each one of us—not any God—has the option to control the quality (redemption) of our lives.
In the dharmic traditions, Bhagvān Mahavir stands apart from others. He had conquered all fears and had therefore came to be known as Mahavir—the courageous one. Some in the Jain (Digambar) tradition consider Mahavir as the ultimate master of the art of letting go, to an extent where even the clothes on his body ceased to be a necessity. In the dharmic pantheon, Mahavir also has the distinction of being the most silent one.
The wisdom of his teachings, although hard to summarize in a short writing, can be considered to be spiritual growth. His teaching, for sake of simplicity, can be organized into three metaphysical concepts and five ethical practices, which are quite relevant for us today. (It is important to note, that this is not how Jain texts would list Mahavir’s teachings. The metaphysical were also systematized by Jain thinkers much later.)
- Metaphysical
- Anekāntavāda – The Doctrine of Many-Sided Truths – Existence is rich and complex, and it has many sides to it, just like the metaphor of an elephant and 5 blind men: One feels the trunk and says it is a snake; another touches the leg and insists it is a pillar; a third touches the ear and describes a fan—each holds a partial truth, yet none grasps the whole. It is the ontology of the reality.
- Syādavāda – The Doctrine of Perhaps – Every truth is only relatively true. That depends on the aspect of the truth in focus. Our views are limited. Therefore, circumstances determine if our assertions are true or not. This is best described as perhaps-ness. Every statement about reality must be qualified. Mahavir observed that people argue because they see only a part of the truth and they insist that their partial truth is the whole truth. He developed Syādavāda to prevent this misunderstanding. Syādavāda is the epistemology and logic of how to speak about the reality.
- Karma – The Doctrine of Ethical Determinism – Mahavir’s focus on Karma makes it perhaps the most important doctrine within the dharmic traditions; it’s the one that lays the most stress on it. The genius lies in the exposition of the factors that contribute to karma—mithyātva (illusion or error), avirati (intemperance), pramād (negligence or carelessness), kashāya (passion), and yoga. Of course, yoga has a positive influence on Karma, unlike mithyātva, avirati, pramād, and kashāya.
These metaphysical concepts were not abstract ideals—they shaped the way Mahavira’s followers lived, and ultimately the society he envisioned.
- Mahavrat / Practices
- Ahimsa (Non-violence) – Bhagvān considered every living being as sanctimonious and guided his followers to not harm anyone. He identified two causes of violence; ignorance and anger. This principle of ahimsa, beginning in thought, extends naturally into the practical disciplines Mahavira prescribed—truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity, non-possessiveness, and self-restraint—each designed to cultivate mental clarity, ethical living, and spiritual freedom.
- Satya (Truth) – Avoid falsehoods and simplify thoughts, words, and deeds. It is truthful speech that does not cause harm—kind, beneficial, non-harmful, and expressed at the right time.
- Asteya (Non-stealing) – The goal is to reduce greed and become more content. It therefore, includes not exploiting others. Understand that the psychological roots of stealing lie in greed, insecurity, and entitlement.
- Brahamcharya (Chastity and Celibacy) – Marry one partner for life, and use your sexual energy ethically. In Mahavir’s framework, brahamcharya is the door to better attention and inner clarity. Its goal is to reduce the karmic disturbance.
- Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness) – Avoid excessive accumulation and develop a mindset of contentment. Cut down on the longing for materialistic things and experiences. It will result in lightness and inner independence.
For Mahavir, ahimsa was not non-violence. Rather, it was a total non-interference in another life. “My presence should not be an interference to anyone.”
The impact of Bhagvān Mahavir’s teachings are enormous. First, he gave us a model of a society that is safe for everyone, including animals. Second, he taught us how to be a better human being by refining our practices and living a good life. Such was the profundity of his message that Mahatma Gandhi adopted ahimsa as the guiding principle of India’s freedom struggle. A few years later, Martin Luther King drew inspiration from Gandhi, unknowingly echoing Mahavir’s teachings over two millennia later, and achieving desegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham, Alabama, which ultimately led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Bhagvān Mahavir was a great reformer and philosopher. His definition of ahimsa makes him stand apart from any other philosopher ever recorded. He gave us the shortest definition of dharma and identified three symptoms of a dharmic life—ahimsa (non-violence), samyama, and tapa (austerity). The mental clarity for non-violence (ahimsa) requires a pause (samyama; regulation of anger, pride, deceit, or greed), which in turn require burning off (tapa; renewal through fasting, simplicity, service, reflection, meditation) the old habits and mental clutter. Together, they form a psychological toolkit that cultivate responsibility, calmness, and strength.
Mahavir organized the Jain sangha, and helped millions understand the nature of existence, before he attained moksha at the age of 72 in Pavapuri, Bihar. In his lifetime, he had about 50,000 sadhus (monks), and sadhvis (nuns) in his monastic order. Bhagvān considered men and women as spiritually equals. There were twice as many sadhvis (nuns) in his order than he had sadhus (monks). In his lifetime, Mahavir had close to half a million shravaks and shravikas (devotees).
Mahavir had 11 Ganadhars (primary disciples), who composed His divyadhvani (teachings) into twelve Agama Sutras (scriptures). For many generations Mahavir’s teachings were passed orally, until they were put down in writing around 400-500 CE.
A study of Mahavir is not merely a study of a historical figure, or a religious text; it’d be a study of a blueprint of a fearless, clear, and compassionate life—a life where ethical clarity, inner freedom, and awareness guides every thought, word, and deed.
धार्मिक छवियाँ 