Dharmanath

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Dharma
15th Jain Tirthankara
Thirtankara.jpg
Idol of a Tirthankara
Details
Alternate name: Dharmanath
Historical date: 3 x 10^210 Years Ago
Family
Father: Bhanu
Mother: Suvrata
Dynasty: Ikshvaku
Places
Birth: Ratnapuri
Nirvana: Sammed Shikhar
Attributes
Colour: Golden
Symbol: Vajra
Height: 45 dhanusha (135 meters)
Age At Death: 2,500,000 years old
Attendant Gods
Yaksha: Kinnar
Yaksini: Pannga

Dharmanath was the fifteenth Jain Tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini).[1] According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Dharmanath was born to King Bhanu Raja and Queen Suvrata Rani at Ratnapuri in the Ikshvaku clan. His birth date was the third day of the Magh Sukla month of the Indian calendar.[1]

Contents

Previous life [edit]

The being that was to become Bhagavan Dharmnath was king Dridhrath of Bhaddilpur in Mahavideh area, in its earlier incarnation. Although he had enormous wealth and a large kingdom, he led a detached and pious life like a lotus in a pond. Even great saints praised him as the embodiment of religion. During the later part of his life king Dridhrath became an ascetic and as a result of his unblemished character and sincere spiritual practices he earned the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Completing his age he reincarnated as a god in the Vijayant dimension.[2]

Life as a Tirthankara [edit]

This being then descended into the womb of queen Suvrata, wife of king Bhanuraja of Ratnapur. During the pregnancy the queen devoted all her time in religious activities. Even the king and all other members of the family were inclined to devote maximum time to various religious activities like charity, righteousness, penances, studies etc. On the third day of the bright half of the month of Magh a son was born to the queen. Due to the religious influence during the pregnancy period, the king gave him the name Dharmnath. In due course he became young, was married and then ascended the throne. He ruled successfully for a long period. One day he terminated all worldly attachments and became and ascetic. After two years of spiritual practices he became omniscient. His first religious discourse was attended by the fifth Vasudev Purush Simha and Sudarshan Baldev. In his first discourse he mainly dealt with the subject of form and ill effects of passions. A large audience was benefited by this eloquent discourse. At last he went to Sammetshikhar and got Nirvana.[3]

Hutheesing Jain Temple, located at Ahmedabad in Gujarat, constructed in 1848 AD, is dedicated to him.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b Tukol, T. K. (1980). Compendium of Jainism. Dharwad: University of Karnataka.  p.31
  2. ^ Helen, Johnson (2009) [1931]. Muni Samvegayashvijay Maharaj, ed. Trisastiśalākāpurusacaritra of Hemacandra: The Jain Saga (in English. Trans. From Prakrit). Part II. Baroda: Oriental Institute. ISBN 978-81-908157-0-3.  p.95
  3. ^ Helen, Johnson (2009) Part II pp.96-115