Bhagwan Mahavira was the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankar of Jainism. He was born on the thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chaitra month in 599 BCE. This day falls in March/April and his birthday is celebrated as Mahavira Jayanti. His parents were King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala, who initially named him Vardhamana, meaning "one who grows" or "increases,".
Bhagwan Mahavira was born into a noble family and lived a life of comfort and luxury. However, he was inclined toward spirituality from a young age. At 30, Mahavira gave up his princely life, wealth, and family for spiritual growth and wisdom.
myNachiketa presents the timeless teachings of Bhagwan Mahavira, for children, to develop their understanding of kindness, honesty, and respect for all living beings.
1. Ahimsa: Nonviolence is the basic principle of living
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that one should not cause harm either physically or mentally, to any being. He believed that Ahimsa should be followed towards all living beings, including animals, plants, even microorganisms, and human beings.
Dear Children, we should also follow the path of nonviolence and compassionate living. Just as we feel pain when someone hurts us understand that other living beings feel the same. So, be kind and never hurt anyone.
2. Satya: Living life with truthfulness
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that truth is a powerful element that builds trust, respect, and harmony in relationships with others. Practising Satya also helps us stay grounded. Truth guides us to make decisions that bring peace to ourselves and kindness to those around us.
Children, you should live a life of truthfulness. Even if you have done something wrong, do not hide it from your parents because of fear. Remember when you speak truth you build trust and live with peace.
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3. Aparigraha: Detachment to people, places, and material things
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that attachment to material things creates bondage and suffering. Aparigraha encourages detachment from wealth, relationships, and other worldly attachments, promoting a simple lifestyle to attain inner peace. Aparigraha means not holding onto too many things and being happy with what we have.
Children, imagine if your room was filled with so many toys that you couldn’t even move! That would make it hard to play, right? So try to have minimal things that are just enough. Instead of always wanting more, we can learn to share with others and take care of what we have.
4. Astey (Non-stealing): not to take anything unethically
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that we should only take what is shared with us with free will. If we want something we like, we should ask politely instead of taking it without permission. Practising Astey helps us build trust, honesty, and respect with friends and family. It teaches us to be happy with what we have and to care for others' feelings and belongings too.
Dear Children, imagine if someone took your favourite toy without asking — it wouldn’t feel good, right? Just like we want others to respect our things, it’s important to respect what belongs to others.
5. Brahmacharya: Living a disciplined life
Bhagwan Mahavira encouraged everyone to live a pure and disciplined life. He taught everyone to have control over our thoughts, words, and actions, and to focus on kindness and goodness. It also means not harming others through bad habits and keeping our hearts and minds clean.
Children, we should have control over our senses and not get easily tempted by worldly things like chocolate, ice-creams, toys, watching TV etc. But we should be strong enough to be focused on our goals.
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6. Living a balanced life
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that it’s good to enjoy things in balance, without overdoing them. He said that using energy wisely and focusing on things help us grow strong, smart, and kind. When we use our time and energy to learn new things, play, and help others, we feel happier and healthier.
Children, when you eat too many sweets — it might taste good at first, but you’ll feel sick later. So try to live life in a balanced way as excess of everything is bad.
7. Right Perception (Samyak-Darshan), Right Knowledge (Samyak-Gyan), and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) together are the real path to knowing oneself
Right Perception (Samyak-Darshan) means seeing things clearly and understanding what is good and true. Right Knowledge (Samyak-Gyan) means learning the truth and understanding how to make good choices. Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) means behaving in the right way. When we see what’s good, learn what’s true, and act kindly, we take steps toward becoming our best selves, just as Bhagwan Mahavira taught.
So children, Samyak-Darshan comes from the right thought process, Samyak-Gyan comes from the right learning and Samyak-Charitra comes from the other two. When you follow this path, you get inner peace and happiness.
Good action gives everlasting happiness
Bhagwan Mahavira taught that every action (karma), whether physical, verbal, or mental, has consequences. Good actions lead to good results, while bad actions have bad results.
Children, by being kind, honest, truthful, and disciplined, you can create a happy and peaceful life for yourselves and others.
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