Parshvanath (पार्श्वनाथ) or
Parshvanatha (
pārśvá-nātha, occasionally spelled
Parshvanath or
Parswanath) was the twenty-third
TirthankarIn Jainism, a Tirthankar is a human being who achieves enlightenment through asceticism and who then becomes a role-model teacher for those seeking spiritual guidance...
a (fordmaker) in
JainismJainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self-effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness...
. fl. ca. in the 9th Century BCE, traditionally (877 – 777 BCE). He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. He was a nobleman belonging to the
KshatriyaKshatriya is one of the four varnas in Hinduism. It constitutes the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu...
caste.
He lived a life of a nobleman for 30 years and was married, before he renounced the world to become a monk.
Parshvanath (पार्श्वनाथ) or
Parshvanatha (
pārśvá-nātha, occasionally spelled
Parshvanath or
Parswanath) was the twenty-third
TirthankarIn Jainism, a Tirthankar is a human being who achieves enlightenment through asceticism and who then becomes a role-model teacher for those seeking spiritual guidance...
a (fordmaker) in
JainismJainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self-effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness...
. fl. ca. in the 9th Century BCE, traditionally (877 – 777 BCE). He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. He was a nobleman belonging to the
KshatriyaKshatriya is one of the four varnas in Hinduism. It constitutes the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu...
caste.
Life as a Tirthankara
He lived a life of a nobleman for 30 years and was married, before he renounced the world to become a monk. He meditated for 84 days before attaining Nirvana. According to the Jain tradition he attained
nirvana' in Jainism means final release from the karmic bondage. When an enlightened human, such as, an Arhat or a Tirthankara extinguishes his remaining aghatiya karmas and thus ends his worldly existence, it is called . Technically, the death of an Arhat is called of Arhat, as he has ended his wordly...
250 years before the
nirvana of
MahaviraMahavira is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24
th and the last Tirthankara...
, the 24th Tirthankar. The chronology accepted by most Jains (
SvetambaraThe Svetambara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being Digambar...
s) places Mahavira's death in 527 BCE. Parshva was the son of king Ashvasena and queen Vama of
VaranasiVaranasi , also commonly known as Benares or Banaras and Kashi , is a city situated on the left bank of the River Ganga in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains...
. He renounced the world and became an ascetic when he was 30 years old. He achieved
NirvanaIn sramanic thought, Nirvana is the state of being free from suffering. It is an important concept in Buddhism and Jainism....
atop
Sammet SikharShri Sammet Shikharji , located near Giridih, in Jharkhand state, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and one of the most sacred places for Jains in the world...
, now named Parshvanatha after him. He was called
("beloved of men"), a name which shows that he must have been a genial personality. He remains beloved among Jains.
There is a mention of four prominent leaders of the order of Lord Parshvanath:
- Gandhara Shubhdatta (Shumbh)
- Arya Haridatta
- Acharya Samudra Suri
- Arya Keshi Shraman
In addition, Parshvanath had ten Ganadhars, or disciples. He also has 108 names.
Arya Keshi Shraman is believed to have been born about 166 to 250 years after the death of Bhagawan Parshvanath. He met
GanadharaIn Jainism, a Ganadhara is a primary disciple of a Tirthankara. All twenty-four Tirthankaras had ganadharas, but the number varied.Ganadhara are at the most honourable position amongst 'Sadhu Pad'. Because they are second provider of 'Diwyadhawani' after 'Teerthankara'...
Gautam Swami, the main disciple of Lord
MahaviraMahavira is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24
th and the last Tirthankara...
. Their discussion about the apparent differences between the teachings of the two Tirthankaras is recorded in Jain texts.
Parsvanatha is the 23rd tirthankara or ford-maker. He lived in Varanasi in India around 800 BCE and is the most popular object of Jain devotion. He is closely associated with compassion, although free from the world of rebirth, like all tirthankaras, and therefore unable to aid his devotees personally.
Iconography
Lord Pārśvanātha is always represented with the hood of a nāga shading his head. This nāga usually has three, seven or eleven heads. The
YakshaYaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology...
Dharanendra and the Yakshi
PadmavatiThe demi-goddess Padmavati is very popular amongst Jains. Padmavati is the main deity at Humacha, the famous Jain pilgrim centre.Padmavati is different from Lakshmi. Legend has it that Padmavati and her husband Dharanendra were the king and queen of snakes in a previous birth, where their lives...
are often shown flanking him. There is a famous legend about the three of them as follows:
Parshvanath was walking one day when he saw an old man next to a fire. With a special type of knowledge called Avdhignan he could tell that a pair of snakes was in one of the logs in the fire. He quickly warned the man that he was burning the snakes, but instead of acting rapidly to save them, the man became angry at Parshvanath and denied the presence of the snakes. Parshavanath pulled out the right log and put it out, then gently split it, revealing two badly burned snakes. He recited the Navkar Mantra, a prayer, for them before they died. The two nagas reincarnatedReincarnation, literally "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I"...
to become the two Yakshas, Dharanendra and Padmavati.
In Jain canonical literature, Parshvanatha is represented in 'padmasana' (lotus) posture – both palms and feet, with auspicious lotus marks on them, placed upward. He has blue-black complexion – the color of the cosmos. The seven-hooded serpent Shesh – umbrella-like unfurling its hoods over the deity, represented elements of the earth and the ocean and has hence a similar body colour. Parshvanatha has been represented as wearing a gem-studded crown and other ornaments. He has a golden throne as a seat and a rich canopy above.
Famous Temples of Lord Parshvanath
Many temples are dedicated to Lord Parshvanath throughout India. There are at least 108 different images (names/ roop) by which he is honored. Some of the most famous ones are:
- Shri Jain temples of Khajuraho
Khajuraho is a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 385 miles southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their...
Parshavanath
- Shri Amijhara Parshavanath
- Shri Andheshwar Parshvanath near Banswara(Raj.)
- Shri Shankheshwar
Shankheshwar is an important tithas of Jainism. It is situated in the Patan district of Gujarat state of India.According to Mughal history, the Shankheshwar village was a lease-grant by Emperor Shah Jahan to Shantidas, a former mayor of Ahmedabad.A fair is held here on the full moon days of the...
Parshvanath
- Shri Nakoda
Nakoda is a village in the Barmer District of Indian state of Rajasthan. The village name is Mewanagar in the Rajasthan state Government records....
Parshvanath
- Shri Nageshwar Parshvanath
- Shri Kalikund Parshvanath
- Sammet Sikhar
Shri Sammet Shikharji , located near Giridih, in Jharkhand state, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and one of the most sacred places for Jains in the world...
in Jharkand
- Humbaj
Humbaj is a hamlet located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is famous for being home to an ancient temple of Goddess Padmavati, and to the Humbaj Matha , an important institution of the Jain community...
Padmavati in Karnataka
- Shri Chintamani
Chintamani is a town and a City Municipal Council in Chikkaballapura district in the state of Karnataka, India.-Geography:Chintamani is located at . It has an average elevation of 865 metres ....
Parshvanath in Navsari
- Shri Avanti
Avanti may refer to:*Avanti , a UK Government sponsored programme to assist construction project partners to work together more effectively*AVANTI, a sub-label from Black Hole Recordings...
Parshvanath in Ujjain
- Shri Panchasara Parshvanath in Patan, Gujarat
- Shri Adinath
Adinath or Adin atha is a Sanskrit word meaning "First Lord" and can refer to:* Adi Jina, a title of the Lord Rishabha* Adi Nath, a title of the Hindu deity Shiva* Adinath Sampradaya, a sadhu sub-sect of the Nath Sampradaya...
Jain Temple, Santhu, Bagra (Marwar), JaloreJalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :Jalor is located at . It has an average elevation of 178 metres...
, Rajasthan.
- Shri Munisuvrata-Nemi-Parsva Jinalaya, Santhu, Bagra (Marwar), Jalore
Jalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :Jalor is located at . It has an average elevation of 178 metres...
, Rajasthan.
- Shri Uvasagarham Parshavnath Jianalaya, Nagpura, Rajnandgoan, Chhattisgarh.