6 Who Is Parsvanatha? When Did He Live and How Is He Depicted in the Arts

In Jainism, Tirthankaras are called the Jina or the conquerors of all instincts. There are 24 Tirthankaras. The term, 'Tirthankara' is a combination of 'Teertha and 'Samsara'. Teertha is a pilgrimage site and samsara is the worldly life. The one who has conquered the samsara and understood the true nature of the self to accomplish Kevala Jnana is a Tirthankara. For history preparation in the IAS Examination, it is important to know 24 Tirthankaras' names and the related information.

Aspirants would discover this article very helpful in framing their preparation strategy for IAS Exam .

Definition of a Tirthankar

A Tirthankar is referred to every bit 'teaching god' or 'Ford Maker' in Jainism. A few points of discussions nearly Tirthankaras are:

1. In Jainism, it is believed that each cosmic age produces 24 Tirthankaras.
2. The Tirthankaras in the fine art are shown in the Kayotsarga pose (dismissing the body).
3. The other famous pose to depict tirthankar in art is a mediation pose where he is seated cross-legged on a king of beasts throne.
4. The 24 Tirthankaras are distinguished with each other past the symbolic colours or emblems.
5. The names of 24 Tirthankaras are inspired by the dreams their corresponding mothers had before their birth or related circumstances surrounding their births.
6. Kalpasutra is a religious text of Jains which mentions the life histories of 24 Tirthankaras. (It is apparently compiled past Digambara sect Jain Muni Bhadrabahu 150 years after Mahavir's Nirvana.)
7. Kalpasutra mentions the first Tirthankara to be Rishabhnath.

As well read, Difference betwixt Hinduism and Jainism

List of 24 Tirthankaras for UPSC Prelims

The names of 24 Tirthankaras along with their symbols, emblems and colours are mentioned in the table below:

Tirthankara Proper noun	Meaning	Symbols/Emblems	Colours
Rishabhanatha/Adinath	Lord Bull/Lord First	Bull	Golden
Ajith	Invincible one	Elephant	Gold
Shambhava	Auspicious	Equus caballus	Gold
Abhinandana	Worship	Ape	Aureate
Sumati	Wise	Heron	Gold
Padmaprabha	Lotus-Bright	Lotus	Scarlet
Suparshva	Good-sided	Swastika	Golden
Chandraprabha	Moon-vivid	Moon	White
Suvidi/Pushpadanta	Religious Duties/Blossomed-toothed	Dolphin/Body of water Dragon	White
Shitala	Coolness	Shrivatsa	Aureate
Shreyamsha	Practiced	Rhinoceros	Aureate
Vasupujya	Worship with offerings of possessions	Buffalo	Red
Vimala	Clear	Boar	Golden
Ananta	Endless	Militarist/Bear	Golden
Dharma	Duty	Thunderbolt	Golden
Shanti	Peace	Antelope/Deer	Gilded
Kunthu	Heap of Jewels	Goat	Gold
Ara	Division of time	Nandyavarta/Fish	Golden
Malli	Wrestler	H2o Jug	Bluish
Suvrata/Munisuvrata	Of skillful vows	Tortoise	Black
Nami/Nimin	Bowing Downwardly/Eye Winking	Blueish Lotus	Golden
Nemi/Arishtanemi	The rim of whose wheel is unhurt	Conch Shell	Blackness
Parshvanath	Lord serpent	Snake	Green
Vardhamana Mahavira	Prospering corking hero	King of beasts	Golden

Ancient History-related articles:

Facts almost Most Prominent Tirthankaras

1. Rishabhnath:
   • He is said to exist before Indus Valley Civilization
   • Information technology is mentioned that in Bhagavata Purana, he is referred to equally Lord Vishnu.
   • Vedas besides mention the name of Rishabhnath. (Read most types of Vedas in the linked article.)
   • He had many sons including – Bharat and Bahubali (Note: The Gomateshwara Statue is dedicated to Bahubali; and is the tallest statue of the world. It is located in Shravanabelagola in Karnataka.)
   • Information technology is also believed that the name of the script 'Brahmi' is inspired past his daughter's name.
2. Mallinath:
   • Malli was the 19th Tirthankara.
   • It is oft debated that Malli was a woman however, some Digambara sect Jains believe that she was reborn equally a man and and then became a Tirthankara.
3. Neminatha:
   • He is the 22nd Tirthankara.
   • He is stated to exist the cousin of Lord Krishna (A Hindu God.)
   • In paintings, he is depicted to adorn dark complexion.
4. Parsvanath:
   • Parsvanath was the 23rd tirthankar.
   • It is believed that he existed two centuries before Vardhamana Mahavira.
   • He was obviously built-in in Banaras (Uttar Pradesh) around 817 BCE.
   • He is said to have propounded Jain religion which was afterward revived by Mahavira.
   • He attained Kaivalya on Mountain Sammeta (Parasnath) in Jharkhand.
   • According to Svetambaras Sect (White-Clad Sect of Jainism); Parsvnath founded 4-fold restraints:
     1. Ahimsa
     2. Satya
     3. Asteya
     4. Aparigraha (The fifth i, 'Brahmacharya' was added by Mahavira.)
   • Navagraha Jain Temple in Karnataka houses the tallest statue of Parsvanath.
5. Mahavira
   • He was the 24th Tirthankara of Jain religion.
   • He was the son of Siddhartha and Trishla.
   • He was born in Bihar.
   • He was a contemporary of Gautam Buddha.
   • At the age of 30, he left his worldly possessions and sought ascetic life towards Kevala Gnan.
   • He attained Kaivalya under a Sal tree.
   • He attained Nirvana in Pavapuri, Bihar.

Know how to study history for IAS from the linked article.

UPSC History Preparation:

Frequently Asked Question – List of Tirthankaras for UPSC

Q.ane. Who is the First Tirthankara?

Ans. Rishabhanatha, called "Lord Bull" in Sanskrit, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras ("Ford-Makers," i.e., saviours) of Jainism, a religion of India.

Q.2. Who is famous Tirthankara of Jains?

Ans. Lord Mahavira is the most famous Tirthankaras of Jains.

Q.iii. Who was the last Tirthankara of Jainism?

Ans. Lord Mahavira was the last Tirthankara of Jainism, his predecessor, Parshvanatha, lived about 250 years earlier.

Q.4. What are the 24 tirthankaras?

Ans. The 24 tirthankaras during this nowadays age are: Adinatha, Ajita, Sambhava, Abhinandana, Sumati, Padmaprabha, Suparshva, Chandraprabha, Suvidhi, Shital, Shreyansa, Vasupujya, Vimala, Ananta, Dharma, Shanti, Kunthu, Ara, Malli, Muni Suvrata, Nami, Nemi, Parshva and Mahavira.

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Source: https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/tirthankaras/

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