Nayasār (also spelled Nayāsar) is described as the very first birth of the soul that would become Bhagwan Mahavīr. In this legendary life, the soul was a village elder and forester who served a king. By offering food to wandering monks and listening to their teachings, he receives the spark of right faith (samyak-darśan) and begins his spiritual journey. This moment marks the beginning of the long sequence of Mahavīr’s past lives, through which he gradually purifies his mind and karmas until he attains kevala-jñāna and ultimate enlightenment. In most Jain narrations, Nayāsar’s encounter with the monks is the turning point that starts his path toward liberation. After this life, the soul is reborn in a series of notable incarnations (e.g., Marīchi, Triprishtha Vasudev, Vishvabhuti, Priyamitra Chakravarti, and others) before Mahavīr’s final incarnation. There are small differences in details between Digambar and Śvetambar accounts, but the core idea — that the journey toward liberation begins with Nayāsar — remains shared.