Suparshvanatha ( sa, सुपार्श्वनाथ ), also known as Suparśva, was the seventh Jain '' Tīrthankara'' of the present age ('' avasarpini''). He was born to King Pratistha and Queen ''Prithvi'' at

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 12 Jestha Shukla 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 ...

clan. He is said to have attained ''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

'' at

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 sixth day of the dark half of the month of ''Phālguna''.

Jain biography

Life before renunciation

Suparśvanātha was the seventh Jain '' Tīrthankara'' of the present age ('' avasarpini''). He was born to King Pratishtha and Queen Prithvi at

on 12 Jestha Shukla in the

clan. There is temple dedicated to Suparshvanatha built in Bhadaini,

to commemorate the birth of Suparshvanatha. Nine months before the birth of ''Suparśvanātha'', Queen ''Prithivī'' dreamt the sixteen most auspicious dreams. Suparśvanātha spent 5 lakh ''pūrva'' as youth (''kumāra kāla'') and ruled His kingdom for 14 lakh ''pūrva'' and 20 ''pūrvāṇga'' (''rājya kāla''). Suparśvanātha was married and ruled after his father King Pratistha. He conducted affairs in state and looked after well being of individual.

Renunciation

According to Jain legends, When he observed tree leaves falling and flower wilting, he renounced his worldly life. He gave his kingdom to his son and became a Jain ascetic. After 9 months and then obtained Kevala Jnana (omniscience). 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 lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...

at Sammed Shikharji on the sixth day of the dark half of the month of ''Phālguna''.

Disciples

According to Jain texts ''Balladatta Svami'' was the leader of the Suparśvanātha disciples and 20 lakh years he also achieved nirvana.

As a historical figure

The

Yajurveda The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...

is also said to have mentioned the name of Suparśvanātha but the meaning is different. It is an epithet of God which means "All-Pure Lord". The ''Mahavagga'' book of the

Khandhaka Khandhaka is the second book of the Theravadin ''Vinaya Pitaka'' and includes the following two volumes: * Mahāvagga: includes accounts of Gautama Buddha's and the ten principal disciples' awakenings, as well as rules for uposatha days and monas ...

(1. 22. 13), a Buddhist text, mentions a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

of Suparśvanātha situated at Rajgir in the time of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

. At

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, there is an old

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circum ...

with the inscription of 157 CE. This inscription records that an image of the tīrthankara

Aranatha Aranath was the eighteenth Jain Tirthankar of the present half cycle of time ( Avasarpini). He was also the eighth Chakravartin and thirteenth Kamadeva. According to Jain beliefs, he was born around 16,585,000 BCE. He became a siddha i.e. a l ...

was set up at the ''stupa'' built by the gods. However,

Somadeva Suri Somadeva Suri was a south Indian Jain monk of the 10th century CE (fl. 959–66, possibly born in Bengal region about 920), author of a work known as "Upasakadyayana" "chapter on lay followers (''upasakas'')", a central work of Digambara ''shrava ...

stated in Yashstilaka and Jinaprabha Suri in

Vividha Tirtha Kalpa ''Vividha Tirtha Kalpa'' is a widely cited Jain text composed by Jinaprabha Suri in the 14th century CE. It is a compilation of about 60 Kalpas (sections), most of them give the accounts of major Jain Tirthas. ''Vividha Tirtha Kalpa'' is an ex ...

that the stupa was erected for Suparśvanātha.

Adoration

''Svayambhūstotra'' by '' Acharya Samantabhadra'' 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 ...

s) are dedicated to ''Tīrthankara Suparśvanātha''. Suparshvanatha is associated with Nandavarta (Dig.) &

Svastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. ...

(Svet.) emblem, Sirisa tree, Varanandin (Dig.) & Matanga (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 Kali (Dig.) & Santa (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

Supasnath Chariyam was compiled during reign of Mokkhal in 1422-23 at Dilwara.

Iconography

Suparshvanatha is usually depicted in a lotus or kayotsarga posture. Statues and paintings show his head shielded by a multi-headed serpent, fanned out like an umbrella. Serpent-hood iconography is not unique to Suparshvanatha; it is also found above the icons of

Parshvanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru ( Kalpavriksha in this "Ka ...

, the 23rd of the 24 ''tirthankaras'', but with a small difference. Suparshvanatha's serpent hood has five heads, and a seven (or more)-headed serpent is found in Parshvanatha icons. Statues of both ''tirthankaras'' with serpent hoods have been found in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, dating to the 5th to 10th centuries. Unlike Parshvantha who is depicted with coils of snake behind the body, Suparshva is depicted with snake hood only overhead. Suparshva's emblem of

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...

is carved (or stamped) beneath his legs as an icon identifier. File:'Jina Suparsvanatha' from Karnataka, c. 900, schist, Norton Simon Museum.JPG, Suparsvanatha, c. 900 CE,

Norton Simon Museum The Norton Simon Museum is an art museum located in Pasadena, California, United States. It was previously known as the Pasadena Art Institute and the Pasadena Art Museum and displays numerous sculptures on its grounds. Overview The Norton Si ...

File:Jain_shrine_with_Suparsvanathal,_western_India,_16th_century,_bronze,_HAA.JPG, 16th century bronze idol of Suparsvanatha,

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single co ...

File:Four Fold Jain Image with Suparshvanath and Three Other Tirthankaras - Circa 1st Century CE - ACCN 00-B-67 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6023.JPG, Jain chaumukha sculpture with Suparshvanath and three other Tirthankaras, 1st century File:Pārśvanāth AS IS.jpg, Supārśva in middle with

Pārśva ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "K ...

on both side, Jain temple, Deogarh File:Suparshvanatha Basadi, Chandragiri (1).jpg, Suparshvanatha with yaksha Varanandin and yakshi Kali

Main temples

* Suparshvanatha temple, Pavagadh *

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. ...

* Suparshavanath Basadi at

Ranakpur Ranakpur is a village located in Desuri tehsil near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan in western India. It is located between Jodhpur and Udaipur. 162 km from Jodhpur and 91 km from Udaipur, in a valley on the western side ...

* Shri Mandavagadh Teerth, Mandu * Suparshavanath Jain Basadi, Bhadaini * Suparshavanath Jain Basadi, Narlai : believed to be more than 1000 years old. File:Ranakpur-Suparshavanath_Temple-20131012.jpg, Suparshavanath Temple at

File:Suparshvanatha Jain temple, Varanasi.jpg, Suparshvanatha temple near Jain ghat,

File:Suparshvanatha Basadi, Chandragiri.jpg, Suparshvanatha Basadi,

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage d ...

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

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