Suparshvanath
| Supārśva | |
|---|---|
| 7th Jain Tirthankara | |
 Idol of Supārśva |
|
| Details | |
| Alternate name: | Suparshvanath |
| Historical date: | 10^220 Years Ago |
| Family | |
| Father: | Supratishtha |
| Mother: | Prithvi |
| Dynasty: | Ikshvaku |
| Places | |
| Birth: | Kashi (Banaras) |
| Nirvana: | Sammed Shikhar |
| Attributes | |
| Colour: | Golden |
| Symbol: | Swastika |
| Height: | 200 dhanusha (600 meters) |
| Age At Death: | 2,000,000 purva (141.12 Quintillion Years Old) |
| Attendant Gods | |
| Yaksha: | Matang |
| Yaksini: | Shanta |
| Jainism | |
|---|---|
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Jainism Portal |
Suparshvanath was the seventh 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. Suparshvnath was born to King Prathisth Raja and Queen Prithvidevi at Banaras in the Ikshvaku clan.[1] His birth date was the twelfth day of the Jayesth shukla month of the Indian calendar.
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[edit] Suparshvanath as a historical figure
The Yajurveda is also said to have mentioned the name of Suparshvanath but the meaning is not definite.
In the Mahavagga (1. 22. 13), there is a mention of a Jain temple of Suparshvanath situated at Rajgir, Bihar, India in the time of Gautama Buddha.
At Mathura, there is an old Jain stupa with the inscription of 157 A. D. This inscription records that an image of Aranath was set up at the stupa built by the gods. Jinaprabha Suri in the Tirtha Kalpa, a work of the 14th century based on ancient materials, mentions that the stupa originally of gold was erected in honor Suparshvanath by the Kubera for Acharyas Dharmaruchi and Dharmaghosh. In the time of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshva, the golden stupa was enclosed in bricks and a stone temple was built outside. Even Somadeva, the author of the Yasastilaka who is nearly four hundred years earlier than Jinaprabha Suri, refers to it as built by gods.
[edit] Previous births
The being that was to be Suparshvanath had done harsh penance and deep spiritual practices in his earlier birth as king Nandisen of Kshetrapuri. He then reincarnated as a god in the sixth Graveyak dimension.[2]
[edit] Life as a Tirthankara
From the dimension of gods this soul descended into the womb of queen Prithvi Devi, wife of king Pratishthasen of Varanasi. During her pregnancy the queen did not lose her normal shapely figure, as generally happens. As her flanks still remained attractive, the child, when born, was named Suparshva.
When Suparshva became young he was married and later ascended the throne. He ably conducted the affairs of he state and looked after the well being of his people. One day while he was enjoying the nature sitting at the roof top, he observed the falling of leaves and wilting of flowers. Suddenly he became aware of the transient nature of life. This gave a rising to the feeling of detachment and desire for spiritual upliftment. He gave his kingdom to his son and became an ascetic. After nine months of disciplined practices he became an omniscient on the sixth day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun. For a long period he worked for the spread of right knowledge. He attained Nirvana on the seventh day of the bright half of he month of Palgun at Sammetshikhar.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Tukol, T. K. (1980). Compendium of Jainism. Dharwad: University of Karnataka. p.31
- ^ Helen, Johnson (2009) [1931]. Muni Samvegayashvijay Maharaj. ed (in English. Trans. From Prakrit). Trisastiśalākāpurusacaritra of Hemacandra: The Jain Saga. Part 1. Baroda: Oriental Institute. ISBN 978-81-908157-0-3. p.453
- ^ Helen, Johnson (2009) pp.454-59
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