KEVALGYANA

Bhagavan Mahavira practised severe austerities and deep meditation for a period oftwelve years and a half. During this period he used to reside in parks, forests and deserted places and bore all the obstacles and tortures patiently and bravely. He used to observe fasts commencing from a two-days, fast and gradually going up to a fast lasting for six months. He had now reached the highest state of meditation. He then reached the village Jrmbhika and stayed on the banks of the river Rjuvaluka. At that time he was observing afast of two days. In order to annihilate the lingering remnants of the destructive Karmans, Bhagavan Mahivira sat down in the "cow-milking" posture, as shown in the illustration. His mind was obsorbed in the highest type of meditation and with all the karmans completely destroyed, he attained the absolute knowledge on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Vaisikha. He became omniscient,
comprehending and visualising everything in the whole universe,as well as everything in the past, present, and the future. Being free from all impurities, he now became an Arihanta.