Bhagwan Mahavir ne kul 42 varsh tak sadhu-jeevan (diksha) bitaya, isliye unhone apne jeevan me 42 Chaturmās (चौमासा) kiye.

“Chomasi tap” ko ek alag vrat ke roop me unke liye granthon me nishchit sankhya ke saath nahi bataya gaya hai. Unki 12 varsh ki sādhanā ke dauran bahut kathor upvās aur tapas hue, parantu isse “lagatar 4 mahine ka ek vishesh tap” ke roop me ginna pramāṇik roop se ullekhit nahi milta.

Paramparā-bhed:

• Shvetāmbara aur Digambara dono paramparā is baat par ekmat hain ki: 12 varsh (lagbhag 12½) ki kathor tapasya ke baad unhe 42 varsh ki āyū me Kevalgyān hua, aur uske baad lagbhag 30 varsh pravachan-kāl raha. Is anusār unka sadhu-jeevan 42 varsh ka hua, isliye 42 Chaturmās.

Sandarbh ke liye:

• Bhagwan Mahavir ke Chaturmās aur jeevan-vrittānt par sankshipt jankāri:
• Mahavir Bhagwan ke jeevan ka saral sa vivaran: