Jainism - 24 Tirthankars - A brief Note

Jainism - 24 Tirthankars - A brief Note:

Time rolls along in eternal cycles of rise and decline. Utsarpini is a "rising" era in which human morale and natural conditions improve over time.

 At the end of Utsarpini, begins Avasarpini, a "declining" era of the same length, in which human morale and virtues deteriorate. During the middle of every rising and declining era twenty-four souls become Tirthankaras.

 They are the humans like us who rise to that level. While accumulating different karmas, they also accumulate get a special karma called Tirthankar Nam Karma in the last 3rd of their life by performing one or more of the 20 special austerities. Tirthankar Nam Karma matures in the final life and leads the person to become a Tirthankara.

 After attaining omniscience, Tirthankara reorganize Jain religion to suit the changing times. Tirthankaras are also called Arihantas, Jinas, Kevalis, and Vitragi. Arihant means "destroyer of inner enemies," Jina means "victor of inner enemies," and vitragi means "one who does not have anymore attachment or hatred towards anyone."

 This means that they are totally detached from worldly aspects. They have destroyed the four ghati karmas, namely Jnanavarniya Karma, Darshanavarniya Karma, Mohniya Karma, and Antaraya Karma.

 They are Kevaljnani meaning that they know everything everywhere that happened in the past, that is happening now, and that will happen in the future at the same time. They are also Kevaldarshani, meaning that they can see all that happened in the past, that is happening now, and that will happen in the future all at the same time.

 They reinstate the fourfold order of sadhus (monks), sadhvis (nuns), shravaks (male householders), and shravikas (female householders).

Jains celebrate five major events in the life of a Tirthankar. They are called Kalyanak (auspicious events). They are:

1. Chyavana Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul departs from its last life, and is conceived in the mother’s womb.
2. Janma Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul is born.
3. Diksha Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul gives up all his/her worldly possessions and becames a monk/nun. (Digambar sect does not believe that women can become Tirthankar or be liberated.)
4. Kevaljnana Kalyanak - This is event when Tirthankar’s soul destroys the four ghati karmas completely and attains the Kevaljnana (absolute knowledge). Celestial angels set Samavsaran for Tirthankars from where he/she delivers the first sermon. This is the most important event for the entire Jain order as the Tirthankar reinstates Jain Sangh and preaches the Jain path of purification and liberation.
5. Nirvana Kalyanak - This event is when a Tirthankar’s soul is liberated from this worldly physical existence forever and becomes a Siddha. On this day, the Tirthankar’s soul destroys the four aghati karmas completely, and attains salvation, the state of eternal bliss.

There are other significant events also in the final life of a Tirthankars. When a Tirthankar’s soul is conceived, his/her mother has fourteen dreams (some texts mention sixteen dreams).

 A Tirthankar’s soul, while even in mother’s womb, has three types of knowledge, namely Matijnan, Shrutjnan, and Avadhijnan. One year before the time of renunciation, a group of celestial angels come to pay homage to the future Tirthankar.

 They remind him/her that the time to renounce the world is arriving. When a Tirthankar renounces the worldly life, he attains Manahparyavjnan, the fourth type of the knowledge, which enables him/her to know people’s thoughts.

24 Tirthankar

Introduction of 24 Tirthankaras

1. Lord Rishabhdev 

He had a sign of an ox on his thigh. The mother Marudeva had seen 14 dreams, of which the first was that of an ox. He started the religion after a time span of 18 koda Kodi Sagaropam (Sagaropam itself is almost an innumerable number, therefore 18 KodaKodi sagaropam is a countless number) Therefore, he was known as Adinath also (The first one)

2. Lord Ajitnath 

When mother Vijaya Rani and Father Jitshatru were playing chess; the queen was winning and winning. She did not lose. Likewise, the Lord did not lose. He won the enemies like love and hates.

3. Lord Sambhavnath 

On his birth, there was plenty of crops everywhere. There was no famine, or draught. All these characteristics were of a good person. Therefore he was known as Sambhavnath.

4. Lord Abhinandan Swami 

When he was conceived in mother’s womb, Lord Indra made frequent visits and praised Him. People in the family and the state became happy and they congratulated each other. So his name was decided

5. Lord Sumatinat 

Once mother, while finding solution to a very difficult problem, got good intellect and she could resolve the conflict peacefully. so he was good 'Mati'. He was known as Sumatinat.

6. Lord Padmaprabh 

The mother desired to sleep on lotus leaf. The lord also was as unattached as Lotus flower

7. Lord Suparshvanath 

The mother had a disease on both the sides, but when the Lord Supashva was conceived , she was totally cured and became glittering like gold.

8. Lord Chandra Prabha Swami 

Mother had a desire to drink the nectar from moon. She had a feeling of coolness.

9. Lord Suvidhinath 

When He was in mother’s womb, he had desire to perform good deeds. He became one performing good deeds.

10. Lord Shitalnath 

The father had a very strong burning fever, which could be calmed down by a cool touch of his mother. He also cooled down threefold burnings of the world.

11. Lord Shreyanshnath 

There was a bed, set out by some God. It was worshipped, but could not be taken in use. The mother used in but nothing happened due to the great Lord’s grace, who was in the womb. On the contrary the world became happyier

12. Lord Vasupujya 

Indra made Frequent showers of diamonds / Wealth. He got the name Vasupujya from the name of His father Vasudev.

13. Lord Vimalnath 

When He was in mother's womb, both the body and the mind became pure with his grace. The Lord, destroyed the unclean karmas with purity of this mind.

14. Lord Anantnath 

The mother had a dream of a garland made from numerous precious giens likewise, with a thread within innumerable knots, the fever and other illness of people disappeared. The Lord performed worship for indefinite period, for three fold jwelves

15. Lord Dharmanath 

The mother became more prone to religion. The lord himself was by nature prone to religion

16. Lord Shantinath 

When he was in mother’s womb, all the disease and misdeeds disappeared. There was peace all around.

17. Lord Kunthunath 

In a dream, a big pillar made from Jewellary was seen. The enemies became as small as ‘Kunthu’ Besides small tiny creatures were taken care of by the Lord.

18. Lord Arnath 

In the dream was seen the wheel with jewel and the pillar. This resulted in growth of the dynasty.

19. Lord Mallinath 

The mother had a desire to sleep in a bed decorated with flowers of all the six seasons. This desire was fulfilled by Gods. The lord won the Moha etc.

20. Lord Munisuvrat Swami 

Mother had a desire to keep best vows; and she kept 12 such vows.

21. Lord Naminath 

When the mother was moving on the fort, her luster could not be seen and faced by the enemies. They bowed down. The lord also got the love and hatred bowed down to him.

22. Lord Neminath (Lord Aristhnemi) 

Aristha means black jewel. Mother saw such black jewel saw a shining wheel. The lord is also as good as sharp edge of the Religious wheel to destroy the Karmas.

23. Lord Parshvanath 

Mother saw a snake passing by a bed of the king without doing any injury (biting) to the king.

24. Lord Mahavir Swami Lord Vardhman 

There was a constant increase in wealth, crops, prosperity, achievements etc., parents grew with more and more fame. The Lord became fearless, firm and brave.

LIST OF 24 TIRTHANKARS

NAME	FATHER	MOTHER	BIRTH PLACE
1) Rishabha (Adinath)	Nabhi-raja	Maru-Devi	Ayodhya
2) Ajitnath	Jita Satru	Vijaya-Devi	Ayodhya
3) Sambhavanath	Jitari	Sena	Sravasti
4) Abhinandannath	Samvara	Siddhartha	Ayodhya
5) Sumatinath	Megh-Prabha	Sumangala	Ayodhya
6) Padmabrabha	Dharana (Sidhara)	Susima	Kausambhi
7) Suparshvanath	Supratishtha	Prithvi	Kasi (Banaras)
8) Chandraprabha	Mahasena	Lakshmana	Chandrapuri
9) Pushpadanta	Sugriva	Rama (Supriya)	Kakandi
(Suvidhinatha)
10) Shiatnath	Dridharatha	Sunanda	Bhadrikapuri
11) Shreyansanath	Vishnu	Vishnudri (Vishna)	Simhapuri
12) Vasupujya	Vasupujya	Vijaya (jaya)	Champapuri
13) Vimalnath	Kritvarman	Suramya(Syama	Kampilya
14) Anantnath	Simhasena	Sarvavasa	Ayodhya
15) Dharmanath	Bhanu	Suvrata	Ratnapuri
16) Shantinath	Visvasena	Acira	Hastinapura
17) Kunthunath	Surya(Sura)	Sri-Devi	Hastinapura
18) Aranath	Sudarsana	Mitra(Devi	Hastinapura
19) Malinath	Kumbha	Rakshita	Mithilapuri
20) Munisuvrata	Sumitra	Padmavati	Kusagranagara
			(Raj-grih)
21) Nami Natha	Vijaya	Vapra (Vipra)	Mithilapuri (Mathura)
22) Neminatha	Samudravijaya	Sivadevi	Sauripura (Dvaraka)
23) Parsva Natha	Asvasena	Vama	Kasi (Banaras)
24) Mahavira (Vardhamana)	Siddharatha	Priyakarni (Trishala)	Kundapura

LIST OF 24 TIRTHANKARS

NAME	NUMBER OF	PLACE OF	EMBLEM
		GANADHARAS	DEATH
1) Rishabha (Adinath)	84	Mount Kailasa	Bull
2) Ajitnath	90	Mount Parasnath	Elephant
3) Sambhav Nath	105	Samet Sikhar	Horse
4) Abhinandan-Nath	103	Samet Sikhar	Monkey
5) Sumatinath	116	Samet Sikhar	Curlew
6) Padmaprabha	111	Samet Sikhar	Red Lotus
7) Suparshvanath	95	Samet Sikhar	Svastika
8) Chandra-Prabha	93	Samet Sikhar	Crescent
9) Pushpadanta	88	Samet Sikhar	Dolphin
(Suvidhinath)
10) Shitalnath	81	Samet Sikhar	Wishing Tree
11) Shreyamsanath	77	Samet Sikhar	Garuda
12) Vasupujya	66	Champapuri	Buffalo
13) Vimalnath	55	Mount Parasnath	Boar
14) Anantanath	50	Mount Parasnath	Bear
15) Dharmanath	43	Mount Parasnath	Vajardanda
16) Shantinath	36	Mount Parasnath	Deer
17) Kunthunath	35	Mount Parasnath	He Ggoat
18) Aranath	30	Mount Parasnath	Fish
19) Malinath	28	Mount Parasnath	Waterpot
20) Munisuvrata	18	Mount Parasnath	Tortoise
21) Naminath	17	Mount Parasnath	Blue Lotus
22) Neminath	11	Mount Girnar	Conch
23) Parshvanath	10	Mount Parasnath	Serpent
24) Mahavira (Vardhamana)	11	Pava Puri	Lion