Rsabha
Encyclopedia
In Hinduism
, Rishabha is the eighth Avatar
of Vishnu
of the twenty-two incarnations listed in the Bhagavata Purana
. He appeared in the womb of Marudevi, the wife of King Nabhi. The King underwent many severe austerities and penance to please Vishnu to get a son like Vishnu. Vishnu accepted his plea and thus appeared as Rishabha, son of King Nabhi and Marudevi.
Jains
accept Rishabha as Rishabha
, as the first Tirthankara.
Rishabha Rishi is also mentioned in the Markandeya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Skanda, and Vishnu Puranas.
. He begot a hundred sons by Jayanti. Of these hundred sons, the eldest was known as Jadabharata
, who became a Chakravartin
. Since his reign, the Indian subcontinent has been called Bharatavarsa. Rsabha's other sons were headed by Kusavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprk, Vidarbha and Kikata. There were also other sons named Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. Instead of ruling the kingdom, these nine became mendicant preachers, following the religious precepts of the Bhagavata Purana
. Their characteristics and activities are described in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavata Purana during the talks between Vasudeva and Narada at Kuruksetra. To teach the general populace, Rishabha performed many sacrifices and taught his sons how to rule the citizens. Thus Rishabha was an ideal father, who gave apt instructions to his sons. The instructions of Rishabha to his sons are present in Canto 5, Chapter 5 of the Bhagavata Purana.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Rishabha is the eighth Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
of the twenty-two incarnations listed in the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
. He appeared in the womb of Marudevi, the wife of King Nabhi. The King underwent many severe austerities and penance to please Vishnu to get a son like Vishnu. Vishnu accepted his plea and thus appeared as Rishabha, son of King Nabhi and Marudevi.
Jains
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
accept Rishabha as Rishabha
Rishabha (Jain tirthankar)
In Jainism, R̥ṣabha or Ādinātha , also known as the "Lord of Kesariya") was the first of the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras. According to Jain beliefs, R̥ṣabha founded the Ikshvaku dynasty and was the first Tīrthaṅkara of the present age...
, as the first Tirthankara.
Rishabha Rishi is also mentioned in the Markandeya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Skanda, and Vishnu Puranas.
Children
He followed the orders of his guru and accepted a wife named Jayanti, who had been given to him by the king of heaven, IndraIndra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
. He begot a hundred sons by Jayanti. Of these hundred sons, the eldest was known as Jadabharata
Jadabharata
The story of Jadabharata is a story about Bharata, son of Rishabha, it appears in the second section of the Vishnu Purana and the fifth canto of the Bhagavata Purana, and also in Jain texts, like Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa The story of Jadabharata is a story...
, who became a Chakravartin
Chakravartin
Chakravartin , is a term used in Indian religions for an ideal universal ruler, who rules ethically and benevolently over the entire world. Such a ruler's reign is called sarvabhauma. It is a bahuvrīhi, literally meaning "whose wheels are moving", in the sense of "whose chariot is rolling...
. Since his reign, the Indian subcontinent has been called Bharatavarsa. Rsabha's other sons were headed by Kusavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprk, Vidarbha and Kikata. There were also other sons named Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. Instead of ruling the kingdom, these nine became mendicant preachers, following the religious precepts of the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
. Their characteristics and activities are described in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavata Purana during the talks between Vasudeva and Narada at Kuruksetra. To teach the general populace, Rishabha performed many sacrifices and taught his sons how to rule the citizens. Thus Rishabha was an ideal father, who gave apt instructions to his sons. The instructions of Rishabha to his sons are present in Canto 5, Chapter 5 of the Bhagavata Purana.