Bhagwan Mahavir’s janma‑kalyanak (Mahavir Jayanti) is linked to the traditional Jain date:

• Tithi (lunar date): Chaitra Shukla 13 (Chaitra Sud 13)
• Year (traditional / historical): 599 BCE

So when people say “599 BCE Mahavir Jayanti”, they are referring to the belief (especially in the Shwetambar tradition) that:

• Bhagwan Mahavir was born in 599 BCE
• On Chaitra Shukla 13, which is celebrated every year as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak / Mahavir Jayanti

Difference between traditions

• Shwetambar tradition:

• Many Digambar scholars:

Both agree on:

• The tithi: Chaitra Shukla 13
• The place: Kshatriyakund (Kundagrama) in present‑day Bihar
• Parents: Raja Siddharth and Rani Trishala

Every year, regardless of the English calendar date, Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated on Chaitra Shukla 13 to remember this birth and his main teachings: Ahimsa (non‑violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non‑stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy / sense‑control), Aparigraha (non‑possessiveness).