Last Updated on 17 April 2024 IST: Mahavir Jayanti 2024: Mahavir Jayanti is one of the prominent festivals of Jainism in India. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara. This festival is the first significant festival in the Jain community before Paryushan. For us Mahavir Jayanti is the way to learn the appropriate method to attain salvation. So, with this Blog, know the date, celebration, story, history, and the correct way to get complete liberation on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti. 

When is Mahavir Jayanti 2024?

Mahavir Jayanti 2024: According to the beliefs of Jainism, and Jain texts, Mahaveera was born on the 13th day of the moon’s bright half during the Chaitra month. In the Gregorian calendar, Mahavir Jayanti falls in the month of March or April. This year Mahavir Jayanti 2024 falls on the 21st of April, Sunday. Mahavir Jayanti is a national festival. Government offices are closed on this day.

How is Mahavir Jayanti Celebrated? 

On this festival devotees keep fasts and the occasion is marked with prayers and visits to Jain temples. On this day, many Jains donate money, food and clothing to the poor in temples during Mahavir Jayanti 2024. Jains take part in RathYatra (Prabhat Pheri) gatherings to recite special rhymes, or Bhajans, that honor Mahavira. Although celebrating any festival like this is not the way one can attain salvation, people still practice it because of the lack of true spiritual knowledge. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated all over India but some of the most popular places are:-

Gomateshwara, Dilwara, Ranakpur, Sonagiri and Shikharji. You will read a few headings later on whether this celebration has any spiritual significance or not.

Story of Mahavir Jayanti 

According to Jainism, Mahavir Vardhamana was born in Kundagram, Vaishali in Bihar 599/582 BC. His father’s name is Siddhartha and mother is Trishala. Mahavir Vardhamana at the age of 30, left the house to become an ascetic. According to Jain community text after 12 years of continuous wandering, he attained ‘Kaivalya’ (enlightenment). In Jainism, they follow literature known as ‘Agam’— based on the Jinvani of Tirthankaras (teachings).

History of Mahavir on Mahavir Jayanti 2024

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak 2024: According to Jainism text ‘Jain Sanskriti Kosh’ (Part-1) on Page no. 176, the life history of Tirthankar Rishabhdev is written: Tirthankar Rishabhdev was the son of Nabhiraj and his mother Marudevi. Nabhiraj was a popular king of the Ikshvaku dynasty in Ayodhya. When Prince Rishabhdev became young he married Sunanda and Sumangala. Sunanda gave birth to a boy Bahubali and a girl Sunderi, and Sumangala gave birth to Bharat and 99 other sons and a girl, Bharmhi. 

When the time came, Rishabhdev gave Ayodhya to Bharat, Takshila to Bahubali, and other kingdoms to 99 other sons according to their abilities and renounced the world. Rishabhdev took initiation and practiced worship.

Also Read: Concept of God & in Jainism (Jain Religion) Explained by Saint Rampal JI

For one year, he didn’t eat anything. Later, Shreyansh, son of Bahubali, gave the sugarcane juice to break his fast. Then he continuously practiced Hatha Yoga for one thousand years. At last, he got up and started giving Dharmdeshna (initiation). He gave the first initiation to Marichi, son of Bharat. Later, he became the 24th Tirthankara. The kind of worship Rishabhdev ji practised does not lead us to complete salvation. Fasting, and not eating food, destroys our human body, which is the precious gift of the Almighty to attain liberation.

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak 2024: About Rebirth in Jainism 

Rebirth is totally true in Jainism as well. But, what’s special about this particular instance of the rebirth of Mahavir Jain that you’re going to read in a while is that it proves that even the way of worship performed according to the Vedic teachings, leads to extreme miseries. So, the arbitrary way of worship practiced and preached by Mahavir Jain and his followers, which is named PakhandaMata in the book ‘Aao Jain Dharam ko Jane’, can in no way lead to happiness. 

Truth hurts; but, once accepted, solves many problems. 

Here Is the Instance: 

The name of the book is ‘Aao Jain Dharam ko Jane’ written by Praveen Chandra Jain, M.A. Shastri, Jammu Dweep Shastri published by Smt. Sunita Jain, Jammudeep, Hastinapur, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh printed by Dhirendra Jain, New Rishabh Offset printers, Meerut. On page 154, the information about some of the previous and next births of Marichi Ji is written upto the birth of Mahavir Jain. A brief summary of that is— 

Previous Births of Mahavir Jain 

He was a king of Bheels, then, he became a deity in heaven. After this, he was born as Marichi, the grandson of Rishabhdev. Rishabhdev initiated Marichi Ji. He performed the way of worship according to Vedas in that birth. With this worship, he became a deity in Brahm’s heaven. Then after a few births of a Brahmin and Prince, he suffered thousands and even crores of births becoming an Aak tree, Neem tree, prostitute, hunter, elephant, donkey, dog, washerman, horse, cat, 60 lakh times died due to miscarriage and only 80 lakh times he became a deity. Then, he suffered hell also before taking birth as Mahavir Jain, and practiced and preached Veda-against worship and followed hypocrisies. 

Readers, it is written in the Holy Gita Ji chapter 16 verse 23 that a seeker who abandons the scriptures attains neither accomplishment nor liberation. The same situation happened with Mahavir Jain. When he performed worship against the holy scriptures in the birth of Marichi, and he had to wander in the 84 lakh life forms, then the arbitrary worshiper Mahavir Jain is bound to suffer a lot; so are his followers. 

God Kabir Met Rishabh Dev

Mahavir Jayanti 2024: God Kabir Ji (Puran Brahm) met Rishabhdev Ji in the form of a saint and inspired him to do worship by giving Naam Diksha (initiation) to him. Rishabhdev Ji got inspired to do worship but did not believe in God Kabir Ji. He discussed it with other sages who were unaware about the right way of worship (as they were not the Tatvdarshi Sant) and went to the forest renouncing the world to perform the worship of Brahm, whereas complete liberation can happen with the worship of Puran Brahm. This is also written in Gita 18:62 & 66. Rishabhdev Ji did not know this and did not believe in God Kabir who came to tell him. 

Read in Hindi: Mahavir Jayanti [Hindi]: महावीर जयंती पर आओ जैन धर्म को जानें 

That scripture-based way of worship of Puran Brahm is available with Sant Rampal Ji. You can take Naam Diksha (initiation) from Saint Rampal ji to do that scripture-based way of worship.

Fasting Is Not Mentioned in Holy Scriptures 

Holy Gita ji chapter 6 verse 16 states that this worship is neither possible for the one who eats a lot nor for the one who does not eat (i.e. keeps fast) nor for the one who sleeps a lot, not even for the one who always stays awake. Therefore, fasting is against the injunctions of our holy scriptures. It can’t lead us to liberation.

In Holy Gita Ji chapter 16 verse 23 & 24 clearly say that the way of worship opposite to the injunction of the scriptures can neither bring happiness nor accomplishment nor liberation. If someone seems to be happy in his life by doing worship against the Holy Scriptures, it means that the person is enjoying the good deeds of his previous births which will surely vanish eventually. Therefore, only follow the scriptures to determine which way of worship should be practiced and which should not.

Mahavir Jain didn’t have any Spiritual teacher. He invented 363 hypocritical beliefs (PakhandaMata) according to the Jain text ‘Aao Jain Dharam ko Jane.’ We are not criticizing any society or any religious community, but we are telling the truth. Because your life is precious and it goes wasted and you suffer extreme miseries by not following the path to complete liberation in your human life.

Mahavir Jayanti 2024 Special 

Wake up, God lover souls! God has descended on the earth. When sin increases on the earth, and nature assumes its macabre form. Then God Kabir appears on the earth. At present, when humans are suffering from pandemics, things like truth and honesty seem to be losing their place on the globe. So, God Kabir descended Himself on the earth in the form of Saint Rampal ji Maharaj ji. Get relief from all the troubles by going to His shelter. We are living in the cage of Satan (Kaal) where anything can happen anytime to you unless you are in the refuge of the Almighty Saint.

There is a sacred speech of Kabir Saheb Ji about Human Life,

Mauth bisaari murkha, Achraj kiya kaun |

 Tan maati mein mil jayega, Jyon aate mein laun।।

Meaning:- We humans enjoy, have fun in life and don’t think about what is in the next moment in life and suddenly death takes us away. Living in worldly pleasures, we forget that death can come at any time. This ignorance is due to the lack of spiritual knowledge.

The Way to Complete Liberation 

We get Human life to worship the Almighty God and attain liberation. The sole aim of this human life is to achieve permanent liberation from the cycle of birth and death i.e., achieve Salvation. The only way to get rid of the birth and death cycle is true devotion.

The Holy Scriptures have given hints like the refuge of Tatvdarshi Saint in Shrimad Bhagwat Gita. For complete liberation, Holy Gita Ji Chapter 4 verse 34 states that to get complete spiritual knowledge go to the refuge of enlightened Saints. Holy Yajurved chapter 40 verses 10 -13 state that one should go in the refuge of the Enlightened Saint Who is imparting complete and true Spiritual knowledge on the basis of all religious holy books and giving true devotion to His disciples.

Enlightened Saints Are a Bliss

Enlightened saints know very well the power of the Supreme Almighty and how to attain Him. In holy Gita ji chapter 18 verse 66, the knowledge-giver of Gita ji has clearly told Arjuna that, you go to the shelter of that One God; I (Gita Knowledge-giver) will free you from all sins. He is God KavirDev (God Kabir). He can destroy our sorrows. Holy Rigveda Mandal 10 sukt 161 mantra 2-5 have proof that complete God can increase the age of a true devotee who practices scripture-based worship.

Holy Yajurveda chapter 5 verse 32 states that one who is the giver of all happiness and Supreme Peace, who destroys our sins, His name is Kavir Dev (God Kabir). He is the liberator. A true disciple must go in the refuge of the enlightened Saint for achieving complete liberation and fulfilling the real purpose of human life.

Who Is the Enlightened Saint? 

The identification of the enlightened Saint (Tatvdarshi Sant) is mentioned in the Holy Geeta ji chapter 15 verse 1-4. In the present time, only Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj is the authorized saint in the whole world who is capable enough to unfold all the spiritual mysteries. 

Saint Rampal ji Maharaj is giving true worship of Supreme Almighty, i.e., by chanting the true mantras of salvation and abiding by the code of conduct of worship we will get liberated from Kaal’s bondage, which was hidden from us till now and was never told by any other Guru in this whole world. Grab this golden opportunity and take refuge in Saint Rampal ji Maharaj without wasting a single breath of human life.

Kabir Saheb ji has given evidence in His Sacred Speech that

Kabir, Kehta hoon kahi jaat hun, Kahoo bajakar dhol | 

Swaans jo khali jaat hai, Teen lok ka mol ||

This verse clears that every single breath we take is important and equal to three lok. So, we should recite the true mantras provided by a complete Guru.

Aim of Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj

Saint Rampal ji Maharaj is the one who prophesied to reform and save the entire humanity from destruction. The mission of Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj is to reunite the world by giving true spiritual knowledge about Almighty God Kabir and return us back to our Eternal Home (i.e. Satlok). Indeed, it is requested to everyone not to forget the main aim of human life and take the refuge of Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj by taking Naam Diksha (Initiation) from Him and get the right way of worship i.e. Sat Bhakti from Him. To know more, you must watch the spiritual discourses of Saint Rampal ji Maharaj on Satlok Ashram Youtube channel.

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