About
Mahavira — Son of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, Renunciant Sage
Mahavira · Mahavira Priyavrateya
Mahavira is the fourth of the ten sons of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, named in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5. Unlike seven of his brothers who accepted the governance of the seven island-continents established by their father, Mahavira was one of three brothers — the others being Kavi and Savana — who renounced the world entirely and pursued spiritual life. The Bhagavata Purana records that these three remembered the experiences of prior existences through their accumulated wisdom, and on the strength of those memories did not covet worldly dominion but engaged diligently in the rites of devotion, seeking no material reward. Mahavira is thus presented as a figure of extraordinary prior spiritual attainment. His name means the great hero or the greatly courageous one — a designation that the tradition applies not to martial prowess but to the courage of the renunciant who turns from the world at the height of his powers. Beyond this identification as a renunciant of exceptional spiritual standing, no independent narrative of Mahavira's ascetic life is elaborated in the primary sources consulted.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Priyavrata — eldest son of Svayambhuva Manu.
- Mother: Barhishmati — daughter of Vishvakarma Prajapati.
✦ References
- Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5, Chapter 1: Names Mahavira among the three renunciant sons of Priyavrata and Barhishmati and notes his remembrance of prior existences as the ground of his renunciation.
- Vettam Mani, Puranic Encyclopaedia (1975): Reference for the genealogical listing of Priyavrata's sons.