New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu greeted people on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti on Sunday and asked them to draw inspiration from the life of Lord Mahavir at a time when the world is facing the coronavirus crisis.

"Lord Mahavir was one of the most charismatic and influential spiritual leaders to have walked the earth. His messages of non-violence, truth, honesty, selflessness and sacrifice are timeless and full of universal compassion," Naidu said in a message.

"We must draw inspiration from Lord Mahavir's life, his practice of austerity, his stress on the need to adopt a positive attitude towards life ... especially now, when humanity is facing a formidable health crisis of the spread of COVID-19," the Vice President said.

In the face of this daunting challenge, we must remain united and strive to protect and heal not just ourselves but the entire world, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)