Part 11 - Biographies (Patanjali v/s Mahavira)

[Full title: Biographies—Short scatches of life of the founders (Patanjali v/s Mahavira)]

Maharshi Patanjali is definitely a formulator of Yogasutra or Yogadarsana, but not Yoga as such, as Yoga prevailed long before him. Almost nothing is known about his era, family or whereabouts. Many scholars have given different timings of his existence and his work too.

The life scatch of Lord Mahavira has already been described briefly in previous Chapter with exact period of his existence and establishment of Jaina sect by him. Nothing much is known about Patanjali’s life, lifestyle or relatives. What we can predictfrom his sutras is his attitude towards life and spirituality. As against this, we have complete details of Mahavira’s life, family and transformation. The complete life scatches are available not only of his last birth but previous twenty seven births. All those values and virutes that he gave were lived by him throughout his life. Patanjali is only the formulator of Yogasutras in Yogadarsana. Mahavira is founder of the entire Jain tradition, prevailing guidelines, rules and regulations of all our actions, words and thoughts through his sermons preserved in the form of Agamas. Jainism offers the life scatches and factual stories as useful principles and philosophies to inspire others with good values and spirituality. Jain scripture “Kalpa sutra’ includes biographies of all 24 Tirthankaras in brief. But, more details of last Tirthankar, Lord Mahavira’s last twenty seven births. His all lives are mentioned in it and include lots of hardships, different levels of tolerance, Tapas and various spiritual practices in the form of masseges for the followers. These virtuous masseges guide us towards our ideal duties and practices in the society which are comparable to Yamas of Patanjali.

Some of them are as under^[1] :

1. Be compassionate towards others: Mahavira continued charity of all his property for a complete year before he renounced, made Gautamaswami his first Ganadhar inspite of his ego as Indrabhuti, made Chandanbala first nun of Jain traditions, got Chandakaushik the deadly poisonous snake realized his unwholesome karma of previous birth which induced total repentance and gave him Devloka. Mahavira blessed us with the greatest principle of anekantavada and one of the best religions “Jainism”.

2. Never hurt the parents: He followed this principle right from the womb of mother Trishala till the death of his parents. He lived with parents as per their request till they died.

3. Remain detached from the pleasures and tolerant and neutral towards all the sorrows and pains: He demonstrated theses in his Samadhi state and through out the life. He loved all and treated all lives equally, so never hated anybody.

4. Each human can come out of the cycle of life and death with great efforts of one’s alone. Nobody can help or support in elimination of Karma. So, increase the tolerance through various hardships he suggested.

5. Do not fight against any adverse situation, but accept and experience it with peaceful mind as a result of karmas earned.

6. Strenghten suttleness like atma (soul), mauna (silentern) as against gross forms of materialism.

7. Forgive all and seek forgiveness: Mahavira had forgiven Sangam, inspite of twenty upsarga (torchers) done by him, Gosalak and Chandkaushik inspite of his burning flames and its poisoning bite on him respectively.

8. Have equanimity in adverse surroundings: Have tolerance towards any environment. Don”t insist on favours and comforts.

Sage Patanjali wrote all the sutras after going through the experience of all hardships, meditations and different stages of Samadhis and spirituality.

Thus, both the great scholars and their philosophies set examples as “Role models” for their followers to get inspired to move towards permanent bliss and happiness.

To conclude this, let me quote a sloka written by Acarya Rajshekharsuri^[2]:

samyak jainamataṃ jñātvā yogaṣṭāṅgeramante yaḥ |
karmalāghavaṃ labdhvā labhyate saukhyaṃ paramparām |

One who practices Astangayogasadhana (individual level) and gives equal weightage to all opinions (follows ‘Anekantvad’ of Jainism, which is at society level) can minimizes his klesas or karma and gets eternal bliss (as an aspirant to Moksa–path of liberation). This is a unique example of simultaneous upliftment of an individual and the entire society i.e.—vyakti-samaṣṭi.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vora Arti, “Sampark-setu’ monthly magazine, p.7, Zalawad Jain mandal, Ghatkopar, Nov.2013

[2]:

Acharya Rajshekharsuri, Gujarat Samachar, daily newspaper, dt.19.09.12