Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.s1: The Twenty Four Tīrthaṅkaras

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.s1

Language
English

The Twenty Four Tīrthaṅkaras

c20.s1.1

The earliest reference to the twenty four Tīrthaṅkaras is made in the Samavāya, Kalpasūtra and the Āvashyaka Niryukti.² It is mentioned that Usabha was born in the third age while the remaining twenty three Tīrthaṅkaras, eleven Cakravartins, nine Baladevas, and nine Vāsudevas and Prativāsudevas in the fourth.

c20.s1.2

² They are Usabha Ajīya, Sambhava Abhinandana, Sumai, Paumappabha, Supāsa, Candappaha, Suvīhi, Pupphadanta, Siyala, Sejjamsa, Vāsupujja, Vimala, Ananta, Dhamma, Santi, Kunthu, Ara, Malli, Munisuvvaya, Nami, Aritthanemi, Pāsa and Vaddhamāna, Sama. Sū 24, Kalp. chs. 6 and 7; Ava. Nir.-369ff, also cf. Schubring, op. cit., p. 21.

c20.s1.3

Usabha, who is known as the first king, the first monk, the first Jina and the first Tīrthaṅkara, is said to have been born in Ikkhāgabhūmi (Ayodhyā) in the house of Nābhi by his queen Marudevī. It is stated that when Usabha was born, Indra approached king Nābhi with a sugarcane and Usabha stretched his hand to take it, and thus was formed the dynasty of Ikkhāgu.

c20.s1.4

In course of time, Usabha married his own sisters, Sumangalā and Sunandā. The former bore a twin, named Bharata and Bambhī and the latter another pair named Bāhubali and Sundarī. When Usabha ascended the throne of Vinitā, he is said to have formed four corporations (gaṇas), viz., Uggas, Bhogas, Rāiṇṇas and Khattiyas.

c20.s1.5

It is mentioned that during that period people ate uncooked roots and Usabha taught them cooking in earthen vessels. At this time arose the potters, blacksmiths, weavers, carpenters, and barbers. Further, Usabha is said to have taught alphabets to Brāhīṇī, arithmetic to Sundarī, rūpakamma (sculpture) to Bharata and cittakamma (painting) to Bāhubali. Thus came into existence the seventy two arts for men, sixty four for women and one hundred general arts (sippa). It was during this period that the Nāgayañña, the Indamaha, the institution of marriage, and the building of the thūbhas (mounds) as memorials to the dead were promulgated.

c20.s1.6

Usabha is said to have reigned for countless number of years, and then retired in favour of Bharata, who was declared as the first universal monarch of Vinitā. After taking to the ascetic life, Usabha is said to have travelled through a number of places. He is said to have passed through the countries of Bahali, Adamba and Illā and reached Hatthināpura where he was offered sugarcane by Sejjanisa, the grandson of Bāhubali. Usabha is said to have attained omniscience in Purimatāla in the garden of Sagadamuha and attained salvation on the mountain Atthāvaya.³

c20.s1.7

³ Jambu Sū 2 30-33. Kalpa Sū 7 205-228. Āia Nir 150ff Āia. cū. pp 135-182 Vasu pp 157-165, 185, also T S P. pp 100 ff.

c20.s1.8

Malli is said to have been the nineteenth Tīrthankara of the Jains. It should be noticed that according to the Svetāmbaras, she was a female and according to the Digambaras a male. It is stated that the kings Padibuddhi of Kosala, Candacchāya of Aṅga, Saṅkha of Kāsī, Ruppi of Kunāla, Adīnasattu of Kuru and Jīvasattu of Pañcāla waged war against Kumbhaga, the father of Malli.⁴

c20.s1.9

⁴ Āyā 8

c20.s1.10

Nami, who was known as the royal sage (rāyarsi), was the twentieth Tīrthankara. He was the son of Mayanarchā by Jugabāhu, who was stabbed to death by his brother. At that time Mayanarchā was pregnant. She fled away out of fear and delivered her child in the forest. Here the child was picked up by king Paumaraha of Mihilā, who handed it over to his queen. In course of time, the king renounced the world and Nami was anointed on the throne. After sometime Nami also joined the ascetic order.⁵ Nami is described as a contemporary of Karakandu, Dumuha and Naggaī, who are referred to as four Pratyekabuddhas. All of them are said to have renounced the world and reached Khiipaitthiya.⁶

c20.s1.11

⁵ Uttarā. Sū 9

c20.s1.12

⁶ Ibid 18. 46 Nami is identified with Janaka, the Brahmanic philosopher king of the Mahābhārata, who is known as Mahājanaka II in the Jātakas. According to the Rāmāyaṇa and the Purāṇas, Nami was the founder of the royal family of Mithilā (P.B.J., pp. 48ff, P.H A,I, p. 45, also Caraka 26, p, 665

c20.s1.13

Nemi or Aritthanemi was the twenty second Tīrthaṅkara He was the son of king Samuddavijaya of Soriyapura by his queen Sivā Kanha Vāsudeva is mentioned as Aritthanemi's cousin (see Kaṇha). It is said that Aritthanemi was to be married to Rāyamai, the daughter of Uggasena When he set out in his chariot for marriage, he heard the pathetic groans of the cattle which were kept together to be slaughtered for the dishes of the guests Aritthanemi felt very unhappy at this and immediately renounced the world He proceeded to the garden, Sahasambavaṇa, on the mountain Revaya and having practised asceticism, attained salvation Rāyamai also is said to have followed the foot-steps of her lord and attained salvation 7

c20.s1.14

Then we come to Pārsva, the twenty third Tīrthaṅkara He was born in Benares and attained salvation at Sammeya 8

c20.s1.15

Mahāvīra, also known as Vaddhamāṇa or Nāyaputta,⁹ was the last Tīrthaṅkara of the Jains. He was the son of Siddhattha by his queen Tisalā and was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of caitra, in Khattiyakundaggāma Siddhattha, the father of Mahāvīra, also known as Sejjamsa or Jasamsa, belonged to the Kāsava gotta Mahāvīra's mother, Trisalā, belonged to the Vasittha gotta and was also known as Videhadinnā or Piikārini Supāsa is described as Mahāvīra's paternal brother, Nandivaddhana his elder brother, Sudamsanā his sister, Jasoyā of the Kodinna gotta his wife, and Piyadamsanā, his daughter It is mentioned that Anojjā was given to Jamāli, who gave birth to Sesavai, also known as Jasavai 10

c20.s1.16

⁹ For other names see Schubring, op cit., p 26 f

c20.s1.17

Mahāvīra renounced the world when he was thirty years old It is said that for a little more than a year Mahāvīra went about with a robe and afterwards wandered naked. Leading a life of severe asceticism for over twelve years, he is said to have attained omniscience on the bank of the Ujjuvaliyā outside the city of Jambhiyagāma. Mahāvīra spent his last rainy season in Pāvā in the office of the survey-ministers (rajjugasabhā) of the king Hatthivāla and died on the fifteenth day of dark half of kārtika at the age of seventy two. The night Mahāvīra died, the eighteen confederate kings of Kāsī and Kosala are said to have observed posaha and made an illumination At the time of his death Mahāvīra is said to have preached fifty five discourses on the result of good deeds, the same number on the result of bad deeds and thirty six discourses on unasked questions 11

c20.s1.18

⁷ Uttarā 23

c20.s1.19

⁸ See Section I, ch I.

c20.s1.20

¹⁰ Kalpa. Sū 5 According to the Digambaras, however Mahāvīra was never conceived by Devānandā, he remained a bachelor and when he renounced the world his parents were living. (See Jinasena's Harivamsa Purāṇa ch II) However cf that the same work (36 8) mentions the vivāhamangala of Vira with Yasodā

c20.s1.21

¹¹ See Kalpa. sū., chs, 1-5, sū 1-148, also Stevenson, Heart of Jainism, pp. 24-44. For the life of Mahāvīra see Jagdish Chandra's Vardhamāna Mahāvīra, Allahabad 1945.

c20.s1.22

The remaining Tīrthaṅkaras were born in Ayodhyā, Hastināpura, Mithilā, Campā and other places, and a majority of them attained salvation at Sammeya.¹²

c20.s1.23

¹² For references see *Āia Nu* 382 ff, *Uttarā Sū* 9, *Uttarā Ti* 18, pp 244 ff, *Nōyā* 8 *Kalpa Sū* 6 170-184, *Vasu* pp 300 301, 340 ff, 346 ff

Linked texts (13)