Jainism is one of the three most ancient religions of India, with roots that go
back to at least the mid-first century B.C.E. Scholars of religion generally
hold that Jainism originated in the 7th–5th century bce in the Ganges basin
of eastern India. Opposing the ritualistic Brahmanic schools whose prestige
derived from their claim of purity and their ability to perform the traditional
rituals and sacrifices and to interpret their meaning. Besides the intellectual
unrest, many social and economic inequalities existed during that period.
People wanted a different kind of society and a new belief system. They
started thinking critically about the ills and sorrows of life, and their desire to
remove these ills led to the establishment of numerous religious sects, of
which Jainism was one of them. These new religious perspectives promoted
asceticism, the abandonment of ritual, domestic and social action, and the
attainment of spiritual illumination in an attempt to win, through one’s own
efforts, freedom from repeated rebirth.
Jainism has its own spiritual leaders and teachers. Jains honor 24 Jinas, or
Tirthankaras: spiritual leaders who achieved enlightenment and have been
liberated from the cycle of rebirth. The first Tirthankara is believed to be
Rishabhanath or Rishabhadev. One of the most influential Jinas was
Mahavira, born Vardhamana, who is considered the 24th, and final, Jina. He
was born into the kshatriya or warrior class, traditionally dated in 599 B.C.E.,
though many scholars believe he was born later. When he was 30 years old,
he renounced his worldly possessions to live the life of an ascetic. After over
12 years of intense fasting and meditation, Vardhamana achieved
enlightenment and became Mahavira (meaning “Great Hero”).
