Suparshvanatha ( ), 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 Benares, Banaras ) or 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 tradition of I ...

on 12

Jestha Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha (; ''jēṭ''; ''zeth''; ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In Indian national calendar, India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year. Known as ''Joishtho'' ( ''Jyôishţhô'' ...

Shukla in the

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Indian religions, particularly Hindu and Jain scriptures Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initi ...

clan. He is said to have attained ''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

'' at

Shikharji Shikharji (), also known as Sammet or Sammed Shikharji, is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Jains, in Giridih district, Jharkhand. It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. It is the most important ...

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

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 Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

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'' (, , from यजुस्, "worship", and वेद, "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism'' (Edito ...

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 mona ...

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

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

of Suparśvanātha situated at Rajgir in the time of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

. At

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

, there is an old

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

with the inscription of 157 CE. This inscription records that an image of the tīrthankara Aranatha was set up at the ''stupa'' built by the gods. However, Somadeva Suri stated in Yashstilaka and Jinaprabha Suri in Vividha Tirtha Kalpa 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 tra ...

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

Svastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few African and American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party who appropriated i ...

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

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, 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 a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

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 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, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. It 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 on both side, Jain temple, Deogarh File:Suparshvanatha Basadi, Chandragiri (1).jpg, Suparshvanatha with yaksha Varanandin and yakshi Kali

Main temples

Suparshvanatha temple, Pavagadh Jain temples, Pavagadh is a group of seven Jain Jain temple, temples located in Pavagadh Hill in the state of Gujarat. These temples are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park. Jain tradition Pavagadh ...

* Mandaragiri * 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 Ranakpur File:Suparshvanatha Jain temple, Varanasi.jpg, Suparshvanatha temple near Jain ghat,

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

References

Citations

Sources

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

External links

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