When was Mahavira born and where? What were his teachings?

Mahavira was born at Kundagrama of Vaisali, in present Basra at Bihar. He was born in around 540 BC.

The basic tenets of Jainism are based on the teachings of Parsva, the twenty-third Tirthankara. Parsva enjoined four great vows on his followers, such as : (a) to promote cthimsa or non-injury to living things (b) to be truthful (c) not to steal and (d) not to possess property.

These four vows are known as Chahiryunia. To these four, Mahavira added a fifth one -Brahmacharya or chastity. Besides, Mahavira stressed upon three great paths or ways to salvation. These are: (a) honest deeds (b) good behavior and (c) right knowledge.

These three treasures taken together are called Triratm or three gems. In Jainism, the two principles of non-injury and non-attachment have been carried to an extreme degree.

Jainas believe that even trees and stones are living objects and hence not to be injured. Moreover, according to the Jaina conception, it is necessary that one must abandon all bonds or attachments to worldly things-even to clothing! Mahavira himself, discarding all clothing, became a digamhara (or naked).

The followers of Mahavira also remained naked. About three hundred and fifty years after the death of Mahavira a schism took place in the Jaina sect.

A group of Jainas discarding the canon of nudity preferred to wear white garments, which came to be known as svetamharas, that is, clad in white.