Parshvanatha

Parshvanatha
23rd Jain Tirthankara

Parshvanatha

Image of Tīrthankara Parshvanatha (Victoria and Albert Museum, 6th-7th Century)
Symbol Snake
Height 9 cubits (13.5 feet)[1]
Age 100 years
Color Blue
Spouse Prabhavati[2]
Parents
  • Ashvasena (father)
  • Vamadevi (mother)
Preceded by Neminatha
Succeeded by Mahavira
Born Varanasi
Moksha Shikharji

Parshvanatha (Pārśvanātha), also known as Parshva (Pārśva), was the twenty-third Tirthankara of Jainism.[3][4] He is the earliest Jain leader (c. 872 – c. 772 BCE) for whom there is reasonable evidence of having been a historical figure.[5][6]

Historicity

Circumstantial evidence including a description of the teachings of Parshvanatha in the Sayings of the Seers, dictates that Parshvanatha can be viewed as a historical figure.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Biography

Parshvanatha was born on the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush to King Asvasena and Queen Vamadevi of Benaras (now Varanasi).[14][7][15] He belonged to the Ikshvaku dynasty.[16][17] He assumed and began to practice the twelve basic vows of the adult Jain householder when he reached the age of eight.[18]

Parshvanatha lived as formal prince of Varanasi and at the age of thirty, he renounced the world to become a monk.[19] He meditated for eighty-four days before attaining Kevalay gyan.[20] He achieved moksha at the age of one hundred atop Shikharji,[7][15] which is known today as the Parasnath Hills after him. Parshvanatha was called purisādāṇīya (beloved of men), a name which shows that he must have been a genial personality.[16] He remains beloved among Jains.[21]

Previous Births

Teachings

18 feet (5.5 m) sculpture of Parshvanatha in the Parshvanatha basadi at Halebidu

According to the Kalpa Sūtra, Parshvanatha had 164,000 śrāvakas (male lay followers) and 327,000 śrāvikās (female lay followers) and 16,000 sādhus (monks) and 38,000 sādhvīs (nuns). He had eight ganadharas (chief monks): Śubhadatta, Āryaghoṣa, Vasiṣṭha, Brahmacāri, Soma, Śrīdhara, Vīrabhadra and Yaśas. After his death, the ganadhara Śubhadatta became the head of the monastic order. He was then succeeded by Haridatta, Āryasamudra and Keśī.[19]

Śvētāmbara texts explain that a sage named, Keśī was born about 166 to 250 years after the death of Parshvanatha met the Indrabhuti Gautama, the chief disciple of Mahavira and asked him twelve questions.[27] One of the question as mentioned in Śvētāmbara text was "The Law taught by the great sage Parsva, recognises but four vows, whilst that of Vardhamana enjoins five". Therefore, according to Śvētāmbara texts, Parshvanatha taught four vows instead of the presently famous five vows (mahavratas).[28] This view is however not accepted by the Digambaras. On this, Champat Rai Jain in his essay titled "The Origin of The Swetambara Sect" wrote:

The first question Kesi put to Gautam was why did Mahavira insist upon the observance of five vows when Parashvanath did not mention five but only four, excluding celibacy? But the question would have had a point if it could be shown that salvation could be obtained without the observance of celibacy. So far as I understand Swetambara books themselves insist upon an observance of this vow, and it is not possible that two omniscient teachers, i. e., Parashvanath and Mahavira could teach different things.
— Champat Rai Jain[29]

In literature

Acharya Jinasena's Mahapurāṇa include Ādi purāṇa and Uttara-purāṇa. It was completed by Acharya Gunabhadra, the disciple of Jinasena in the 8th century C.E. In Ādi purāṇa, life events of Rishabhanatha, Bahubali and Bharata are detailed out.[30]

Kalpa Sūtra is biographies of the Jain Tirthankaras, notably Parshvanatha and Mahavira.

Guru Gobind Singh has penned life history of Parshvanatha in a composition called the Paranath Avtar, which is included in the Dasam Granth.[31]

Iconography

Parshvanath is the most popular object of Jain devotion. He is closely associated with compassion, although he is free from the world of rebirth like all Tirthankaras and therefore unable to aid his devotees personally.[32]

Temples

Idols

Colossal statues

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parshvanatha.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sarasvati 1970, p. 444.
  2. ↑ "Parshvanath-the 23rd tirthankar", indianscriptures.com
  3. ↑ Fisher 1997, p. 115.
  4. ↑ Sanghvi, Vir, "Rude Travel: Down The Sages", Hindustan Times
  5. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 183.
  6. ↑ Sangave 2001, p. 103.
  7. 1 2 3 Dundas 2002, p. 30.
  8. ↑ Sangave 2001, p. 128.
  9. ↑ Charpentier 1922, p. 153.
  10. ↑ Ghatage 1951, p. 411-412.
  11. ↑ Deo 1956, pp. 59–60.
  12. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 182-183.
  13. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 220.
  14. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 184.
  15. 1 2 Sangave 2001, p. 104.
  16. 1 2 Ghatage 1951, p. 411.
  17. ↑ Deo 1956, p. 60.
  18. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 196.
  19. 1 2 von Glasenapp 1999, pp. 24–28.
  20. ↑ Danielou 1971, p. 376.
  21. ↑ Schubring 1964, p. 220.
  22. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 186-187.
  23. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 189.
  24. 1 2 Zimmer 1953, p. 190.
  25. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 191.
  26. ↑ "Parshvanatha". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  27. ↑ von Glasenapp 1999, p. 35.
  28. ↑ Chatterjee, Asim Kumar (2000). A Comprehensive History of Jainism. ISBN 9788121509312.
  29. ↑ Champat Rai Jain. The Change of Heart. p. 102–103.
  30. ↑ Upadhye, Dr. A. N. (2000). Mahāvīra His Times and His philosophy of life. Bharatiya Jnanpith. p. 46.
  31. ↑ Dasam Granth, S.S. Kapoor, Page 17
  32. ↑ Bowker 1997.

References

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