RAS question
Mahavira attained Kaivalya (enlightenment) at:
Correct answer: (D) Jrimbhikagrama (near Jambhikagrama).
Mahavira attained Kaivalya, or Kevala-Jnana, at Jrimbhikagrama on the bank of the Rijupalika river, under a Sala tree, after twelve years of severe penance.
Explanation
The answer is Jrimbhikagrama because Mahavira's enlightenment took place there, not at the better-known sites linked with his birth or death. Jainworld, Life and Legacy of Mahavira, Chapter III says that after twelve years of severe austerities, Mahavira was absorbed in pure meditation on a stone slab under a Sala tree, in the Manohara forest on the bank of the Rijukula river, close to the village Jrmbhaka or Jrmbhika in Magadha, when Kevala-Jnana, meaning omniscience or all-knowledge, dawned on him. The same exam fact is Kaivalya at Jrimbhikagrama on the Rijupalika river bank, at the age of 42. Pavapuri is a separate milestone: his Nirvana at the age of 72.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Pavapuri is linked with Mahavira's Nirvana at the age of 72, so it cannot be the place where he attained Kaivalya after penance.
- (B) Vaishali, specifically Kundagram, is identified with Mahavira's birth, whereas the enlightenment event is placed at Jrimbhikagrama.
- (C) Rajagriha was the capital of Magadha, but the enlightenment episode names the village Jrmbhaka or Jrmbhika, not Rajagriha, as the relevant place.
Concept
This tests the standard Ancient Indian History mapping of Jain Tirthankara life-events to places. RAS repeats such location-based Jainism questions because birthplace, enlightenment site and Nirvana site are easy to confuse.