It is only as a human being that a soul can attain perfection. But such perfected soul Tirtharnkaras or Arhats, come from heaven or hell, where they had preceding birth Bhagavan Mahavira was a god in the Pranata Kalpa of the Vaimanika Nikaya (a celestial region) in his preceding birth. At the proper time he entered as foetus in the womb of Devananda, a Brahmin lady of Jalandhara Gotra and wife of Rsabhadatta of Kodala Gotra and a  leader of Brahmanakundapura—a suburb of Vaisali. This apostle of Ahimsa was born for the uplift of all souls in the three worlds. The five land-marks in his life are : (1) Conception, (2) Birth (3) Initiation, (4) Attainment of omniscience (Kevala-Jnana) and (5) Attaining liberation. These five are termed as Panca-kalyanakas in the Jain scriptures.This illustration depicts the first Kalyanaka (Cyavana)—the descent in the foetus.