Mahavir did hard penance which is supposed to be twelve and a half years and a fortnight. His no penance had less than two fasts. During his fasting Mahavir even avoided water. During his total penance period of 4577 days he ate food on 350 days only. The rest of the days he kept fasts detailed as under.
l Two days fasts 12 times
l Three days fasts 219 times
l Fortnight fasts 72 times
l One month fasts 12 times
l One and a half month fasts 2 times
l Two months fasts 6 times
l 2½ months fasts 2 times
l Three months fasts 2 times
l 175 day fasts 1 time
l Six months fasts 1 time
l Bhadra Pratima-2 fasts 1 time
l Mahabhadra Pratima-4 fasts 1 time
l Sarvotabhadra Pratima-10 fasts 1 time
Mahavir believed that over eating caused laziness and tensions. So, he ate little. He had no eating regime. Whenever he felt need to eat strictly to stay alive he ate a little. Inspite of the starvation diet he remained healthy. He made no distinction between tasty or tasteless food. Whatever he got when needed he ate it without any fuss. No matter it was hot, cold, fresh or leftover.
Even during his life in the palace Mahavir had conquered his taste buds. The speciality of his diet used to be, little quantity and little variety. He kept fasts during that period also. The fasts had brought several changes in his body. He did lose on weight a little but it was amply compensated by the great immunisation power his body had evolved. He never suffered any serious ailments.
All his life he remained a healthy person. He had taken the help of the medicinal treatment only once in his life when he suffered skin burn due to an accident in a spiritual exercise.
Mahavir had led a very disciplined life all through from his princely days and onwards. Even during cruel winters he used to sit in meditative posture in the open ground for hours in naked state having his arms spread like wings. He did the same during blazing summer days and suffered no sunstroke.
Once in the month of Baisakh, on tenth date Mahavir was in meditation mode in Godohan asana (Milching cow posture) in the field of ‘Shyamaka Grihapati’ situated on the bank of Rijuvalkya river.
Suddenly a feeling swept through him that some force had milked all the worldly attachments out of him. He was in perfectly detached state. All cells of his body felt liberated. No kinks or imbroglios remained in him. Everything had straightened out as plain truth. No doubt cast its shadow on his mind or soul.
A light was spreading through him and it was lighting up the immediate outer surroundings as well. It was the light of a sublime knowledge.
It was the extreme stage of enlightenment. He felt that he could do a lot for the good of others. He infact had gained the Kaivalya knowledge, the mother of all knowledges. He had become a Kaivali…an omniscient and omnivision force. He now knew all about everyone, everything and situations. There were no more any hurdles in the way of his spiritual quest. From a sublime height he could see below everything.
After gaining Kaivalya Bhagwan Mahavir stayed there for some time and then set out on the mission of working for the public welfare.
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