Recently was the Vaisakh Sud 11 tithi – 11th phase of the Moon when it is waxing in the month of Vaisakh or Baisakhi. A big day for current day Jain’s because this was the day that Mahavir swami, 24th tirthankar, established the Jainism shashan under him. It’s called “Shasan Sthapna” day.

I had a quick discussion with my uncle on it as part of the aatmic YT channel (first video on Jainism, so yay!)

Two main pts come out in this conversation about this day,

– every tirthankar, when he gets kevalgyaan (enlightenment) will then re-establish the religion under his administration. For most tirthankars there is an existing Jain order set by the previous tirthankar – it is important for them to re-establish this under them. Eventually, the monks from the older order probably come under his fold.

– for all other 23 tirthankars, in this half-yuga cycle, the day of kevalgyaan was also the day the religion got established under them. Not so, for Mahavir swami. This was an “achcheru” i.e. unusual event where in, on the kevalgyaan day – Vaisakh sud 10, he gave the first customary deshna (discourse). But no human will to take diksha was present over there. It’s only after the first diksha of a gandhar calibre person (kind of a senior monk) that religion can be said to be re-established under them.

So Mahavir swami did very hard vihaar (walk) from Rujuvalika (place of enlightenment) to Pavapuri – roughly 150km in one day. And he gave his second deshna in Pavapuri. Here Indrabhooti and his group arrived and took diksha. Indrabhooti became Gautam Swami, mahavir swami’s first gandhar and also remarkable person. Had mentioned his story in this post about the Indian new year.

So this story also highlights how important the establishment of a monk order is in Jainism.