Mahavir, also known as Vardhamāna, was the twenty-fourth and last Jain Tirthankara (ford maker, spiritual teacher). Mahavir was born into a royal family in what is now Bihar, India, in 540 BC. At the age of 30, he left his home in pursuit of spiritual awakening, and abandoned worldly things, including his clothes, and became a monk. For the next twelve-and-a-half years, Mahavir practiced intense meditation and severe penance, after which he became kevalī (omniscient). Feel blessed by listening