Bhagavan Mahavira Life and Philosophy : [04.01] The Accomplishment Of Sadhana

here can be no effect without a cause. For example, the mango tree laden with fruits must have an efficient as well as a material cause. There can be no mango tree unless there had been a seed.

Moreover, the appropriate climate and the season must also contribute their share to the birth and growth of the tree. Similarly, no soul can become luminous without the light of consciousness. Also, the light of consciousness cannot manifest itself unless through meditation and spiritual discipline.

Bhagavan Mahavira spent twelve years in the sadhana of meditation and self-discipline. He spent another six months and the seventh month was running. It was the tenth day of bright half of the lunar month of Vaisakha. It was the time of afternoon and the vijaya muhurta had arrived, Bhagavan Mahavira was camping on the river Rjubaluka on the outskirts of the village Jambhiyagrama. He sat in the posture of a meditator in the rays of the sun near a sala tree in the farm of Syamak. He had been fasting and had not taken even water for the last two days. In the state of deep meditation, he established himself in perfect equanimity, extirpated the karmas responsible for delusion, ignorance, imperception and spiritual weakness and at once he attained the state of kaivalya or omniscience.
His period of sadhana came to an end with the attainment of kaivalya. He now came to perceive and know the whole of reality directly. His consciousness had grown pure and devoid of any kind of obstruction. The dividing line between the knower and the known had disappeared. He had a direct perception of his own self as well as the entire world. He became omniscient.