36. BHAGAVAN MAHAVIRA ATTAINS ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE (KEVALAJNANA)

Bhagavan Mahavira practiced severe austerities and deep meditation for a period of twelve years and a half. During this period he resides in parks, forests and deserted places and bore all the obstacles and tortures patiently and bravely. He used to observe fasts commencing from a two-days, fast and gradually going up to a fast lasting for six months. He had now reached the highest stage of meditation. He then reached the village Jrmbhika and stayed on the banks of the river Rjuvaluka. At that time he was observing a fast of two days. In order to annihilate the lingering remnants of the destructive Karmans, Bhagavan Mahavira sat down in the ‘cow-milking’ posture, as shown in the illustration. His mind was absorbed in the highest type of meditation and with all the karmans completely destroyed, he attained the absolute knowledge on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha. He became omniscient, comprehending and visualizing everything in the whole universe, -as well as everything in the past, present and the future. Being free from all impurities, he now became an Arihanta.