A study of the philosophy of Jainism
by Deepa Baruah | 2017 | 46,858 words
This page describes the The lives of the Tirthankaras from the study of the philosophy of Jainism: one of the oldest religions in India having its own metaphysics, philosophy and ethics. Jainism is regarded as an ethical system where non-violence features as an important ethical value.
Chapter I.c - The lives of the īٳṅks
(i) Ṛṣabhadeva:
The earliest īٳṅk of Jainism was Ṛṣabhadeva, also known as Ādinātha, who was born in the womb of Ѳܻī. was his father. Before his birth, his mother had a dream where she saw that a bull coming towards her. Hence, he was named Ṛṣabhadeva. He preserves two symbols, one is bull and other is dharmacakra. The tree connected with his 𱹲ñԲ is nyagrodha. All the īٳṅks have some particular ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�. The name of Ṛṣabhadeva’s ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� are Gomukha and 䲹śī.
(ii) Ajita:
Ajita was born in ǻin the womb of Vijayāsenadevī and he is regarded as the second īٳṅk. ٲśٰ was his father. Before his birth his mother saw an elephant in her several dreams. In Indian faith an elephant is connected with kingly power. After his birth all his father’s enemies were conquered (jita). Hence his name is given as Ajita the invincible one. The symbol related to him is an elephant. The tree connected with his is 𱹲ñԲ is 𱹲ṛkṣa. Mahāⲹṣa and Ajitabāla are his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(iii) ٳ:
The third īٳṅk, ٳ was theson of king Dṛḍharāja and queen ṣeṇ�. He was born in Ś屹پ. His king father had been distressed to see the way his dominions were ravaged by plague and famine, but when he heard the good news of the birth of his child, he felt that there was a chance (sambhava) of better times coming. So he named his son ٳ. His symbol is horse. The tree under which he received the 𱹲ñԲ is ś. Trimukha and Duritārī were the names of his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(iv) Abhinandana:
Abhinandana, the fourth īٳṅk of Jainism was the son of Svayaṃvara and ٳ who lived in ǻ. He was so called because Indra used to come down to the earth to worship him. He preserves the symbol of an ape. Under 辱 tree he received the supremeknowledge. The name of the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� related to him were Īśvar and respectively.
(v) ܳپٳ:
ܳپٳ, the fifth sage of Jainism comes from a Rājput family. His parents were Megharatha and Ѳṅg. He was born in Kaṅkaṇapura. He was called ܳپٳ, because before the birth of the child, his mother’s intellect became much perfected (sumati). A story is related that there was an old brāhmi�, having two wives and a son. After his death, both the wives claimed that the son belonged to each of them and always quarreled about this. Ultimately the matter was laid before the Queen for settlement. The Queen ordered that to end the dispute the living child should be cut into two pieces. This brought an end to the quarrel, because no one wanted to cut and kill the child. Thus, this intelligent order saved the situation. Because of this sumati of his mother he was named as ܳپٳ. Heron was his symbol and the tree connected with his 𱹲ñԲ is ⲹṃg. Tumbaru was his ⲹṣa and Mahākāli was his ⲹṣiṇ�.
(vi) Padmaprabha:
ś峾ī was ruled by a Rājput king whose name was Sridhara and his great son Padmaprabha was known as the sixth īٳṅk of Jainism. His name became Padmaprabha because his mother ܲī had a desire to lie down on the bed of lotuses before the birth of the child. Lotus was his symbol. Kevala tree related to him was ٰ. The names of his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� were Kusuma and Ś峾 respectively.
(vii) ܱśٳ:
ܱśٳ, the seventh īٳṅk of Jainism was the son of ܱپṣṭ and ṛtī. Banaras was known as his birth place. He was endowed from birth with beautiful sides, so he was known by the name ܱś. Moreover, his mother was suffering from leprosy. She was cured from this before his birth and therefore he was given the name of su (good) and ś (sides). The ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� related to him were Mātaṅga and ŚԳپ respectively. Śīṣa and svastika were his kevala tree and symbol.
(viii) Candraprabha:
The eighth īٳṅk of Jainism was Candraprabha whose parents were Rājput and they belonged to Candrapurī. Before his birth, his mother longed to drink the moon and when he was born, he was found as bright as the moon and his name became Candraprabha. The moon became the symbol of him. The tree connected with his 𱹲ñԲ is 岵. Vijaya and Bhṛkuṭi were the names of his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(ix) ܱٳ:
The ninth īٳṅk was ܱٳ, the son of ܲī and 峾. His place of Ծṇa was ٲś. Before his birth his kingly relatives were warring against one another, but after his birth they gave up fighting between themselves and took to performing religious duties. His birth eventually brought suvidhi (good order) to the distracted family and so his name became Suvidhinatha. He was also called ʳṣp岹Գٲ due to his beautiful teeth which were like the buds of flowers. Two different opinions had been seen about his symbol and kevala tree. The Ś峾 believed that dolphin was his symbol but the Digambaras believed that crab was his symbol. Regarding the tree under which he attained the supremeknowledge was the 岵, according to some authorities and another authority, it was malli. Ajita and Sutārīdevī were ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� of this sage.
(x) Śīٲٳ:
King ṛḍٳ and Queen Sunaṇdā’s son Śīٲٳ became the tenth īٳṅk of Jainism. He acquired a marvellous power to cure fever and bring coolness to the patients. His father was suffering from fever where all the physicians had given up all hopes of his recovery. But when he was in his mother’s womb, his mother laid her hand on her husband and immediately fever left him and his father was cured. He then came to be known as Śīٲٳ. His symbol and kevala tree was śīٲ-svastika and vilva. and śǰ첹 are his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xii) Śreyāṃśanātha:
Śreyāṃśanātha, the eleventh īٳṅk was the son of king Viṣṇudeva and Viṣṇudevī. It had been found that his father had a very beautiful and peculiar throne. But unfortunately an evil spirit took up his abode in it, so that no one even dared to sit on it. Then before the birth of child his mother made up her mind to sit on it. When she sat on it, nothing untoward happened. So his name was given as Śreyāṃśanātha, the lord of good. Rhinoceros was his symbol and tumbara wasthe tree connected with his 𱹲ñԲ. Yakṣetaand Mānavī are his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xii) ܱūⲹ:
The twelfth īٳṅk who was born in Campāpurī was ܱūⲹ and he was the son of Vasu and Jayāvatī. His name has been derived in two ways. First, as he was the son of Vasu, he was called ܱūⲹ. And secondly, before his birth the Gods Indra and Vasu came to worship his father and brought for him wealth (vasu) from heaven. Male buffalo was his symbol. Regarding kevala tree one belief is ٲ첹 and another, kadamba. ܳ and Caṇdā were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xiii) վٳ:
The thirteenth īٳṅk վٳ was the son of the king Kṛtavarman and Suramyā. He is known as վٳ (Lord of clearness) after the clearness of intellect of his mother with which she was endowed before his birth. Boar was his sign and jambu was his kevala tree. Ṣaṇmukhaand Vairoṭi were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xiv) ԲԳٲٳ:
ԲԳٲٳ became fourteenth īٳṅk of Jainism who was the son of ṃhԲ and ⲹś峾. His mother saw an endless (ananta) necklace of pearls in a dream before his birth and so he was named as Anantanatha. The Ś峾 believe that hawk was his symbol and the Digambaras believe that bear was his symbol. śٳٳ was his kevela tree. and Anantamatī were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xv) ٳٳ:
ٳٳ was the son of Bhānurāja and ܱ. He became the fifteenth īٳṅk of Jainism. Before his birth his mother performed many religious rites while he was in her womb. And, therefore, he was known as ٳٳ. Thunder bolt was his symbol. The kevela tree was called 岹貹ṇa or saptacchada. Kinnara and Kandarpā are his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xvi) ŚԳپnātha:
The sixteenth īٳṅk ŚԳپnātha was the son of վśԲ and . He was born at Ჹپܰ. He was named as ŚԳپnātha or Lord of peace, since his birth brought peace to the place. Deer was his symbol. Under ԲԻ徱ṛkṣa he received the supreme knowledge. ṃpܰṣa and Mahāmānasī were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xvii) ܲԳٳܲٳ:
The seventeenth īٳṅk was ܲԳٳܲٳ, the son of king Śivarāja and Śridevī. Before his birth, his mother had seen a large heap (kuntha) of jewels in her dream. That is why he was known by the name of ܲԳٳܲٳ. His symbol was a goat. The tree under which he attained the 𱹲ñԲ was tilakataru. The ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� related to him were Gandharva and .
(xviii) ٳ:
The eighteenth sage ٳ was the son of king ܻ岹śԲ and Mitrasenādevī. His mother saw a wheel (ara) of jewels in her dream so he obtained the name of ٳ. Svastika was his symbol. The sacred tree related to him was mango tree.The ⲹṣa and the ⲹṣiṇ� were Yakṣendra and Dhāraṇīdevī.
(xix) Malli:
The nineteenth īٳṅk was Malli. The Ś峾 believed that Malli was a woman and was the daughter of king Kumbha and Prajāvatī. She was known as Malli because before her birth her mother had desired to wear a garland of flowers called . Her symbol was a water–jar. The tree under which she attained supreme knowledge was śǰ첹. Kubera and Dharaṇapriyā were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� of Malli. However, the Digambaras deny this belief of the Ś峾. Their faith is that no woman can ever be liberated and subsequently become a īٳṅk. Therefore, they believed that nineteenth īٳṅk was also a male.
(xx) Munisuvrata:
Munisuvrarta was the son of King Sumitra and ʲ峾屹ī. Before his birth his mother observed all the vows of Jainism. Hence, after the birth of the child, he was given the name of Munisuvrarta. Tortoise was his symbol. He obtained 𱹲ñԲ under campaka tree. ղṇa and Naradattā were the ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� of him.
(xxi) ٳ:
ٳ, the twenty-first īٳṅk was the son of Vijayarāja and ղ. The enemies of his father bowed down in submission when he was in his mother’s womb and therefore he was named as ٳ. Blue lotus was his symbol and bakula was kevala tree. Bhṛukti and Gandhāri were his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� respectively.
(xxii) Neminātha or ṣṭԱ:
Nemināth or ṣṭԱ was the twenty-second īٳṅk of the Jainas who was the son of Samudravijaya and Śivadevī. Before his birth his mother saw a wheel (nemi) of black jewels (ṣṭ) so his name became ṣṭԱ. Conchshell was his symbol. The tree related to his 𱹲ñԲ is 屹. The ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� are Gomedha and .
(xxiii) śٳ:
The twenty-third īٳṅk śٳ was the son of śԲ and 峾. He was known by the name because when he was in the womb of his mother, she saw a serpent crawling by her side. At the age of 30, śٳ renounced the world and became an ascetic. He practised penance for eighty-three days. On the eighty-fourth day, he obtained 𱹲ñԲ. He preached the truth for about 70 years and achieved salvation or ǰṣa at the age of 100 years on the Mount śٳ in Bengal. Snake is his symbol. The 𱹲 was his kevala tree. Pārśva or 峾Բ and ʲ峾屹ī were his ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ�.
(xxiv) Ѳ屹ī:
The last īٳṅk was known as Ѳ屹ī, also known as ղԲ, who was the greatest of all the īٳṅks of Jainism. Ѳ屹ī was the second son of ٳ a ṣaٰⲹ chieftain of Magadhaand հś. He was born in the village called Kuṇḍagrāma near Vaiśāli about 599 B.C. He was called ղԲ because before his birth, his family’s treasures were increasing day by day. He sustained all fears and dangerous and endured all hardships and calamities. So he was called Ѳ屹ī.
Ѳ屹ī lived as a householder for thirty years. But, when his parents died, he left his home and became an ascetic at the age of 30. After twelve years of constant meditation, he went to a place known as Tṛmbhikagrāmawhich was near śٳ hills. In that place sitting under the shade of an tree by the side of the river Ṛjuvāllika, he meditated deeply for some time and ultimately attained the absolute or perfect knowledge (𱹲ñԲ). After this he, became omniscient and was regarded as a īٳṅk. He died in 527 B.C., at the age of 72. Lion was his symbol and was kevala tree. The ⲹṣa and ⲹṣiṇ� were named as Mātaṅga and Siddhāyika.