Chandraprabha () is the eighth

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

of ''Avasarpini'' (present half cycle of time as per

Jain cosmology Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the Universe (''loka'') and its constituents (such as living beings, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism. Jain cosmology considers the universe as an uncreated entity t ...

). Chandraprabhu was born to King Mahasena and Queen Lakshmana Devi at Chandrapuri to the

Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty is ...

. According to

Jain texts Jain literature (Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the ca ...

, his birth-date was the twelfth day of the Posh Krishna month of the Indian calendar. He is said to have become a

siddha ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...

, i.e. soul at its purest form or a liberated soul.

Jain biography

Life before renunciation

Chandraprabha was the eighth Jain '' Tīrthankara'' of the present age ('' avasarpini''). He was born to King Mahasena and Queen Lakshmana Devi at Chandrapuri,

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

on 12th day month Pausa in the

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king of ...

clan. Nine months before the birth of ''Chandraprabha'', Queen ''Lakshmana Devi '' dreamt the sixteen most

auspicious dreams Auspicious dreams are often described in texts of Jainism which forecast the virtue of children. Their number varies according to different traditions and they described frequently as fourteen or sixteen dreams. They are seen by mothers of the pr ...

. Mahasena named Tirthankar Chandraprabha because of his complexion was white as moon. According to

Uttarapurana ''Uttarapurana'' is a Jain text composed by ''Acharya'' Gunabhadra in the 9th century CE. According to the Digambara ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad) ...

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

named him Chandraprabha because at his birth the earth and night-lotus were blossomed. Chandraprabha spent 2

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lakh ''pūrva'' as youth (''kumāra kāla'') and ruled His kingdom for 6

\tfrac

lakh ''pūrva'' and 24 ''pūrvāṇga'' (''rājya kāla''). During his rule, Chandraprabhu was apathetic towards the ordinary delights and princely grandeur.

Renunciation

He decided to renounced his worldly life, soon after his ascension to throne and after 3 months he obtained Kevala Jnana (omniscience) while mediating under '' Naga tree''. After a many years of spreading his knowledge, he is said to have attained

nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

Sammed Shikharji Shri Sammet Shikharji () is a pilgrimage site in Giridih district, Jharkhand, India. It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. It is the most important Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) by both Digambara and ...

on the seventh day of the bright half of the month of ''Bhadradha''.

Disciples

According to

Digambara ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing n ...

''Vaidarbha Svami'' and ''Varuṉā'' were the chief '' Ganadhara'' and ''

Aryika ''Aryika'', also known as ''Sadhvi'', is a female mendicant (nun) in Jainism. History In the traditional Digambara tradition, a male human being is considered closest to the apex with the potential to achieve liberation, particularly throu ...

'' of the Chandraprabha disciples and ''Dinna'' and ''Vāruṇī'' according to

Śvētāmbara The Śvētāmbara (; ''śvētapaṭa''; also spelled ''Shwethambara'', ''Svetambar'', ''Shvetambara'' or ''Swetambar'') is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the ''Digambara''. Śvētāmbara means "white-clad", and refers ...

Adoration

''Svayambhūstotra'' by ''

Acharya Samantabhadra Samantabhadra was a Digambara acharya (head of the monastic order) who lived about the later part of the second century CE. He was a proponent of the Jaina doctrine of Anekantavada. The ''Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra'' is the most popular work ...

'' is the adoration of twenty-four ''Tīrthankaras''. Its five slokas (

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

s) are dedicated to ''Tīrthankara Chandraprabha''. Chandraprabha is associated with crescent moon emblem, Naga tree, Vijya or Śyāma (Dig.) & Vijya (Svet.)

Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

and

Jwalamalini Jwalamalini or ( sa, ज्वालामालिनी, kan, ಜ್ವಾಲಾಮಾಲಿನೀ) is the Yakshini (guardian spirit) of the Eighth Tirthankara, Shri Bhagwan Chandraprabhu in Jainism and was one of the most widely invoked Yak ...

(Dig.) & Bhṛkuṭi (Svet.)

Yakshi ''Yakshinis'' or ''yakshis'' (यक्षिणी sa, yakṣiṇī or ''yakṣī''; pi, yakkhiṇī or ''yakkhī'') are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from devas and ...

In literature

''Chandraprabha-charitra'' composed by

Haribhadra Aacharya Haribhadra Suri was a Svetambara mendicant Jain leader, philosopher , doxographer, and author. There are multiple contradictory dates assigned to his birth. According to tradition, he lived c. 459–529 CE. However, in 1919, a Jain m ...

is an adoration to Chandraprabha. Chandraprabha is mentioned in the

Buddhist scripture Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...

Iconography

Chandraprabha is usually depicted in a lotus or kayotsarga posture, with a crescent moon symbol beneath him; each ''tīrthankara'' has a distinct emblem, which allows worshippers to distinguish similar idols. Like all ''tirthankaras'', he is depicted with a ''

Shrivatsa The Shrivatsa (Sanskrit: ; IAST: ''Śrīvatsa,'' ) is an ancient symbol, considered auspicious in Hinduism and other Indian religious traditions. Hinduism Origin Shrivatsa means "Beloved of Shri", an epithet of Vishnu, and a reference to ...

'' and downcast eyes. The earliest known sculpture of Chandraprabha was installed by

Maharajadhiraja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Ramagupta Ramagupta (IAST: Rāma-gupta; r. c. late 4th century CE), according to the Sanskrit play ''Devichandraguptam'', was an emperor of the Gupta dynasty of northern India. The surviving fragments of the play, combined with other literary evidence, su ...

of Gupta dynasty. Chandraprabha has been popular amongst Jain everywhere in India. The iconography of Chandraprabha is particularly popular in Eastern India in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. Sculptures of Chandraprabha were also popular in Jain temples, Deogarh, Khajuraho Jain temples and

Sonagiri Sonagiri ( hi, सोनागिरी) or Swarnagiri about 60 km from Gwalior, has scores of Jain temples dating from the 9th century onwards. It is located in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, India. This location is popular among ...

. File:Door jamb and lintel decoration, and Tirthankara image in the sanctum at the Jain temple at Lakkundi.jpg, Idol at

Jain temple, Lakkundi The Brahma Jinalaya, sometimes called as the Greater Jain Temple of Lakkundi, is an early 11th-century Mahavira temple in Lakkundi, Gadag District of Karnataka state, India. The temple is attributed to Attiyabbe (Danacintamani Attimbbe), the wif ...

File:Mahavir-Jain-Fame-1000-Pillar-Temple- Moodbidri.JPG, Idol at

Saavira Kambada Basadi Saavira Kambada Temple () or Tribhuvana Tilaka Cūḍāmaṇi), is a ''basadi'' or Jain temple noted for its 1000 pillars in Moodabidri, Karnataka, India. The temple is also known as "Chandranatha Temple" since it honours the tirthankara Chandr ...

File:Tijara Jain temple - Main Idol (3) (cropped).jpg, The famous idol of Chandraprabhu at

Tijara Tijara is a city and a municipality in Alwar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Tijara comes under the NCR area and is situated 48 km to the northeast of Alwar. The nearest railway station to Tijara is Khairthal. Bhiwadi is a census ...

File:Jaisalmer Jain Temple 07.jpg, Chandraprabha temple inside

Jaisalmer Fort Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is believed to be one of the very few "living forts" in the world (such as Carcassonne, France), as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still re ...

;Colossal statue File:Lord Chandranatha Thirthankara statue.jpg, statue at Mandaragiri Hill,

Tumkur Tumkur, officially renamed as Tumakuru, is a city located in the southern part of Indian state of Karnataka. Tumkur is situated at a distance of northwest of Bangalore, the state capital along NH 48 and NH 73. It is the headquarters of the ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

File:Chandaragiri Vatika.jpg, statue at Chandragiri Vatika,

File:Chandraprabh.jpg, statue at

Main temples

1000-Pillar-Temple-Moodbidri-Left-Side-View

Tijara Jain Temple Tijara Jain Temple is a digambar Jain temple dedicated to Chandraprabha. The temple is located in the hill town Tijara, in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, India. It is an ''Atishaya Kshetra'' (English: Place where Miracles happen). It is from ...

Moodabidri Moodabidri ( kn, ಮೂಡುಬಿದಿರೆ ''Mūḍubidire''; also called Mudbidri, Moodbidre and Bedra), is a town and taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. It lies 34 km northeast of the district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karna ...

Vijayamangalam Jain temple Vijayamangalam Jain temple also known as Chandrapraba Tirtankarar Temple is a Jain temple in the town of Vijayamangalam in Erode district, Tamil Nadu.https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/the-influence-of-jainism-in-kongu-nadu/ar ...

Jainimedu Jain temple Jainimedu Jain temple is a 15th-century Jain temple located in city of Palakkad, Kerala.It is located at Jainimedu, one of the suburbs of the city . It is dedicated to Chandraprabha, a Tirthankar of the Jain faith. The celebrated Malayalam po ...

Chandravati Chandravati, popularly known as Chandroti, is a village situated near Abu Road on the bank of the West Banas River in the Indian state of Rajasthan. In ancient times it was an extensive town, and present villages such as Dattani, Kiverli, Khar ...

* Kumbakonam Jain Temple *

Mandaragiri Mandaragiri or Basadi-betta is a Jain pilgrimage located on Mandaragiri Hill in Tumkur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. About temple The Mandaragiri temple complex is an important Jain pilgrimage centre named after Mallinatha. Th ...

Prabhas Patan Prabhas Patan, also known as Somnath Patan or Prabhas Kshetra, historically named Dev Patan, is an area situated in Veraval, Gir Somnath district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. Somnath temple, a place of pilgrimage due to its importance ...

* Lunwa Jain temple * Chandranatha basadi Dharmasthala * Chandraprabha temple, Pavagadh File:Jain temple, Mettupudur 2.jpg,

built in 678 C.E. File:N-RJ-87 Fort including Ancient Temples Jaisalmer SolReyes20100917 332.JPG, Chandraprabhu temple, Jaisalmer Fort File:Sonagiri.jpg, Sonagiri Jain Tirth File:Tijara Jain Temple - Main(3).jpg,

Tijara Jain temple Tijara Jain Temple is a digambar Jain temple dedicated to Chandraprabha. The temple is located in the hill town Tijara, in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, India. It is an ''Atishaya Kshetra'' (English: Place where Miracles happen). It is from ...

Notes

References

Citation

Sources

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External links

Harvard Pluralism Project: Jainism
{{Authority control Tirthankaras Solar dynasty