On 5 April 2012 we are going to celebrate Mahavir Jayanti.
Mahavira was born into royalty as the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trusgaka. During pregnancy, Trishala was believed to have had a number of auspicious dreams, all signifying the coming of a great leader. The exact number of dreams differs according to the school of Jainism; Svetambaras generally believe that the actual number is fourteen while Digambaras claim sixteen instead. Regardless, the astrologers that interpreted these dreams claimed that the child would become either an emperor or a Tirthanakr. It is said that when Trishala finally gave birth to Mahavira, the god-king indra bathed the newborn himself with celestial milk, a ritual essentially marking him as a Tirthankar.
Mahavira was born into royalty as the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trusgaka. During pregnancy, Trishala was believed to have had a number of auspicious dreams, all signifying the coming of a great leader. The exact number of dreams differs according to the school of Jainism; Svetambaras generally believe that the actual number is fourteen while Digambaras claim sixteen instead. Regardless, the astrologers that interpreted these dreams claimed that the child would become either an emperor or a Tirthanakr. It is said that when Trishala finally gave birth to Mahavira, the god-king indra bathed the newborn himself with celestial milk, a ritual essentially marking him as a Tirthankar.
