Answer

According to Jain Dharma, before a soul becomes a Tirthankara, it passes through many births in saṃsāra, and during those births it may bind both puṇya and pāpa karma like other worldly souls.

So, in a general Jain sense, yes, the soul that later became Mahavir Swami would have had karmic bondage in earlier births. But Jain tradition does not present Mahavir Swami as a soul who was spiritually fallen; rather, it describes a soul steadily progressing toward liberation through virtue, tapas, and right conduct.

Explanation

In Jain philosophy:

• A soul can wander through many lives.
• In those lives, it may create:

- puṇya through good conduct, compassion, and restraint - pāpa through ignorance, attachment, violence, or wrongdoing

• Only after complete purification does a soul become free from karma.

For Mahavir Swami, the important point is this:

• He was a highly evolved soul.
• His earlier births were part of a long spiritual journey.
• Jain tradition focuses more on his final perfection and spiritual victory than on ordinary worldly faults.

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching reminds us that:

• Even great souls progress step by step.
• Karma is not removed by belief alone, but by purification of conduct and inner state.
• The goal of Jain life is to reduce pāpa, increase self-control, and finally become free from all karma.

Takeaway

So the simple answer is: in earlier births, the soul that became Mahavir Swami would have had karmic bondage, including pāpa karma like other souls in saṃsāra. But Jain tradition sees his journey as one of continuous spiritual elevation leading to complete liberation.