Mahavir: Conqueror of the Self | Arvind Bhandari

Lately, I have been drawn towards reading spiritual books and other self-help material. A key reason is that I really am curious to know myself. I have come to believe that self-awareness is an underrated term. We do talk about it but rarely go to a certain extent, a depth, to unravel the secrets. Once we become aware of our true selves, once we conquer our inner self; we can truly conquer the world. With compassion, with love. One day, one act, at a time.

Mahavir: Conqueror of the Self by Arvind Bhandari is a beautiful story of how Mahavir realized his true self to serve the world. The story is told from his daughter, Priyadarshini’s perspective, who is angry at her father for leaving his family. However, as we progress ahead in the book, she learns the true generosity of her father. The reality leaves her admiring her father, the Mahavir.

We must have heard about Jainism and might have some understanding of its culture. This book attempts to share a few key insights into this religion. With this book, we live through the transformational journey of Mahavir from being a prince to becoming a Tirthankar. His journey explains how difficult it is to go beyond the limitations of the world and how one can unite with the supreme power.

The author has crafted a fictional tale to elaborate on certain topics such as karma, Jeev, Sanyam, Brahmacharya, Nirjhar, Kevala Jnana, Kevalin, Turiya, Kosas, Leshyas, Chakras, Ahimsa, Aparigraha, Asteya, Satya, etc. Not to mention, the story shows the Lord Mahavir first as a human and then brings out his godly traits. With that subtle narrative, we’d be sure that all of us have, that we seek outside, within. Having said that, it becomes clear that once we master ourselves, we can conquer the world as in the case of Mahavir, who goes on to gain followers from across the world only after he finds himself.