Neminath | |
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22nd Tirthankara | |
Member of Tirthankar, Salakapurusha, Arihant and Siddha | |
Other names | Nemi, Nem |
Venerated in | Jainism |
Predecessor | Naminatha |
Successor | Parshvanatha |
Symbol | Shankha (conch) [1] |
Height | 10 bows – 98 feet (30 m) [2] |
Age | 1000 |
Color | Black |
Gender | Male |
Genealogy | |
Born | Ariṣṭanemi |
Died | |
Parents |
|
Dynasty | Yadu clan [3] [4] |
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Jainism |
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Neminātha (Devanagari: नेमिनाथ) (Sanskrit: नेमिनाथः), also known as Nemi and Ariṣṭanemi (Devanagari: अरिष्टनेमि), is the twenty-second tirthankara of Jainism in the present age ( Avasarpini ). Neminath lived 81,000 years before the 23rd Tirthankar Parshvanath. According to traditional accounts, he was born to King Samudravijaya and Queen Shivadevi of the Yadu dynasty in the north Indian city of Sauripura. His birth date was the fifth day of Shravan Shukla of the Jain calendar. Balarama and Krishna, who were the 9th and last Baladeva and Vasudeva respectively, were his first cousins.
Neminatha, when heard the cries of animals being killed for his marriage feast, freed the animals and renounced his worldly life and became a Jain ascetic. The representatives of this event are popular in Jain art. He had attained moksha on Girnar Hills near Junagadh, and became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.
Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminath is one of the twenty-four Tirthankars who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. His icons include the eponymous deer as his emblem, the Mahavenu tree, Sarvanha (Digambara) or Gomedha (Śhvētāmbara) Yaksha, and Ambika Yakshi.
The name Neminatha consists of two Sanskrit words, Nemi which means "rim, felly of a wheel" or alternatively "thunderbolt", [5] and natha which means "lord, patron, protector". [6]
According to the Jain text Uttarapurana , as well as the explanation of Acharya Hemchandra, it was the ancient Indian deity Indra who named the 22nd tirthankara as Neminatha, because he viewed the Jina as the "rim of the wheel of dharma". [7]
In Śvetāmbara Jain texts, his name Aristanemi came from a dream his mother had during pregnancy, where she saw a "wheel of Arista jewels". [8] His full name is mentioned as Aristanemi which is an epithet of the sun-chariot. [9] [10] Neminatha's name is spelled close to the 21st tirthankara Naminatha. [11]
Neminatha was the twenty-second Tirthankara (ford-maker) of the avasarpiṇī (present descending cycle of Jain cosmology). [12] [13] [14] Jain tradition place him as a contemporary of Krishna, the ninth and last vasudev. [15] There was a gap of 581,750 years between the Neminatha and his predecessor, Naminatha as per traditional beliefs. [16] [11] He lived approx. 81,000 years before the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha as per the Trishashtishalakapursusha Charitra of Acharya Hemachandra. [16]
Neminatha is mentioned as the youngest son of king Samudravijaya and queen Shivadevi of the Yadu lineage, [3] [4] born at Sauripura (Dvaraka). [17] He is believed to have become fond of animals in his early life due to being in a cattle-herding family. Jain legends place him in the Girnar-Kathiawad (in Saurashtra region of modern-day Gujarat). [18] [19] [20] His birth date is believed to be the fifth day of Shravana Shukla of the Hindu calendar. [14]
He is believed to have been born with a dark-blue skin complexion, [22] a very handsome but shy young man. [4] [17] His father is mentioned as the brother of Vasudeva, Krishna's father, therefore he is mentioned as the cousin of Krishna in Trishashti-salaka-purusha-charitra. [12] [23] [21] [24] [25] [26] Sculptures found in Kankali Tila, Mathura of Kushana period depicts Krishna and Balarama as cousins of Neminatha. [27]
In one of the legends, on being taunted by Satyabhama, wife of Krishna, Neminatha is depicted to have blown Panchajanya, the mighty conch of Krishna through his nostrils. According to the texts, no one could lift the conch except Krishna, let alone blow it. [28] [17] After this event, the Harivaṃśapurāṇa, as composed by Acharya Jinasena, states that Krishna decided to test Neminatha's strength and challenged him for a friendly duel. Neminatha, being a Tirthankara, is believed to have defeated Krishna easily. [29] He is also mentioned as spinning a great Chakra with the right leg toe during his childhood. [17]
In the war between Krishna and Jarasandha, Neminatha is believed to have participated alongside Krishna. [30] This is believed to be the reason for celebrating Krishna-related festivals in Jainism and for intermingling with Hindus, who worship Krishna as one of the incarnations of Vishnu. [31]
Chandogya Upanishad , a religious text in Hinduism, mentions Angiras Ghora as the teacher of Krishna. [15] He is believed to have taught Krishna the five vows, namely, honesty, asceticism, charity, non-violence and truthfulness. Ghora is identified as Neminatha by some scholars. [15] Mahabharata mentions him as the teacher of the path of salvation to king Sagara. He may also be identified with a Scandinavian or Chinese deity, but such claims are not accepted generally. [32]
Jain tradition holds that the Neminatha's marriage was arranged with Rajulakumari or Rajimati or Rajamati, daughter of Ugrasena. [28] [17] Ugrasena is believed to be the king of Dvārakā and maternal grandfather of Krishna. [17] He is believed to have heard animal cries as they were being slaughtered for the marriage feast. Taken over by sorrow and distress at the sight, he is believed to have given up the desire of getting married, and to have become a monk and gone to Mount Girnar. [12] [33] [34] [24] [11] His bride-to-be Rajulakumari is believed to have followed him, becoming a nun and his brother Rahanemi became a monk, joining his ascetic order. [17] [25] [28]
According to Kalpasutras, Neminatha led an ascetic life thereby eating only once every three days, [35] meditated for 55 days and then obtained omniscience on Mount Raivataka, under a Mahavenu tree. [22]
According to Jain texts Neminatha had 11 Gandhara with Varadatta Svami as the leader of the Neminatha disciples. [36] Neminatha's sangha (religious order) consisted of 18,000 sadhus (male monks) and 44,000 sadhvis (female monks) as per the mentions in Kalpa Sutra. [37]
He is said to have lived 1,000 years [38] and spent many years spreading his knowledge and preaching principles of ahiṃsā (non-violence) and aparigraha (asceticism) in the Saurashtra region. [39] He is said to have attained moksha (nirvana) on the fifth peak or tonk (Urjayant Parvat) of Mount Girnar. [25] [36] [12] Of these 1,000 years, he is believed to have spent 300 years as a bachelor, 54 days as an ascetic monk and 700 years as an omniscient being. [35]
The yaksha and yakshi of Neminatha are Sarvanha (Digambara) or Gomedha (Śhvētāmbara) Yaksha, and Ambika Yakshi. [36]
Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty-four Tirthankaras who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. [40] Unlike the last two tirthankaras, historians consider Neminatha and all other tirthankaras to be legendary characters. [12] Scenes from Neminatha's life are popular in Jain art. [36] Jinastotrāņi is a collection of hymn dedicated to Neminatha along with Munisuvrata, Chandraprabha, Shantinatha, Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha. [41]
The yaksha and yakshi of Neminatha are Sarvanha and Ambika according to Digambara tradition and Gomedha and Ambika according to Śhvētāmbara tradition. [36]
Samantabhadra's Svayambhustotra praises the twenty-four tirthankaras, and its eight shlokas (songs) adore Shantinatha. [42] One such shloka reads:
O Worshipful Lord! Endowed with supreme accomplishments, you had burnt the karmic fuel with the help of pure concentration; your eyes were broad as open water-lilies. You were the chief of the Hari dynasty and had promulgated the unblemished tradition of reverence, and control of the senses. You were an ocean of right conduct, and ageless. O Most Excellent Lord Ariṣṭanemi! After illuminating the world (the universe and the non-universe) through powerful ways of omniscience, you had attained liberation
— Svayambhūstotra (22-1-121) [43]
The Jain traditions about Neminatha are incorporated in the Harivamsa Purana of Jinasena. [44] [45] A palm leaf manuscript on the life of Neminatha, named Neminatha-Charitra, was written in 1198-1142 AD. It is now preserved in Shantinatha Bhandara, Khambhat. [46] The incident where Neminatha is depicted as blowing Krishna's mighty conch is given in Kalpa Sūtra . [9]
Rajul's love for Neminatha is described in the Rajal-Barahmasa (an early 14th-century poem of Vijayachandrasuri). [47] The separation of Rajul and Neminatha has been a popular theme among Jain poets who composed Gujarati fagus , a poetry genre. Some examples are Neminatha Fagu (1344) by Rajshekhar, Neminatha Fagu (1375) by Jayashekhar and Rangasagara Neminatha Fagu (1400) by Somsundar. The poem Neminatha Chatushpadika (1269) by Vinaychandra depicted the same story. [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]
Arddha Nemi, the "Unfinished Life of Nemi", is an incomplete epic by Janna, one of the most influential Kannada poets of the 13th century. [53] [54] Nemidutam composed by Acharya Jinasena, 9th century, is an adoration of Neminatha. [55]
Neminatha, along with Rishbhanatha and the Śramaṇa tradition, has been mentioned in the Rigveda. Neminatha is also referred to in Yajurveda. [56] [57]
Neminatha is believed to have had the same dark-bluish-colored skin as Krishna. [58] Painting depicting his life stories generally identifies him as dark-coloured. His iconographic identifier is a conch carved or stamped below his statues. Sometimes, as with Vishnu's iconography, a chakra is also shown near him, as in the 6th-century sculpture found at the archaeological site near Padhavali (Madhya Pradesh). [59] Artworks showing Neminatha sometimes include Ambika yakshi , but her colour varies from golden to greenish to dark-blue, by region. [60]
The earliest known image of Neminatha was found in Kankali Tila dating back to c. 18 CE. [61]
Neminatha is one of the five most devotionally revered Tirthankaras, along with Mahavira, Rishabhanatha, Parshvanatha and Shantinatha. [40] Various Jain temple complexes across India feature him, and these are important pilgrimage sites in Jainism. Mount Girnar of Gujarat, for example, which is believed to have been a place where Neminatha is believed to have achieved nirvana. [62]
Luna Vasahi in Dilwara Temples, built in 1230 by two Porwad brothers - Vastupala and Tejpal, considered famous for ellaborate architecture and intricate carvings. [63] The ceilings of the temple depicts scenes of the life of Neminatha with image of Rajmathi (who was to marry Neminatha) [64] and Krishna. [65] [36] Shanka Basadi in Lakshmeshwara, built in 7th century, is considered one of the most important temple built by Kalyani Chalukyas. [66] The temple derives its name from the image of Neminatha in kayotsarga posture standing on a large shankha (conch shell). [64] The unique feature of this temple is a monolithic pillar with the carving of 1008 Tirthankaras known as Sahasrakuta Jinabimba. [67] [68] Adikavi Pampa wrote Ādi purāṇa , seated in this basadi (temple) during 9th century. [69] [70]
Important Neminatha temple complexes include Tirumalai (Jain complex), Kulpakji, Arahanthgiri Jain Math, Nemgiri, Bhand Dewal, Bhand Dewal in Arang and Odegal basadi.
The Dilwara Temples or Delvada Temples are a group of Śvētāmbara Jain temples located about 2+1⁄2 kilometres from the Mount Abu settlement in Sirohi District, Rajasthan's only hill station. The earliest were built by Vimal Shah, a Jain minister of Solanki king of Gurjaratra, Bhima I and additions to the temples were made by Vastupala, Jain minister of Vaghelas of Gurjaratra. They date between the 11th and 16th centuries, forming some of the most famous monuments in the style of Solanki architecture, famous for their use of a very pure white marble and intricate marble carvings. They are managed by Seth Shri Kalyanji Anandji Pedhi, Sirohi and are a pilgrimage place for Jains, and a significant general tourist attraction. The Dilwara temples are regarded as the most impressive among Jain temples in Rajasthan.
Parshvanatha, or Pārśva and Pārasanātha, was the 23rd of 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism. Parshvanatha is one of the earliest Tirthankara who is acknowledged as a historical figure. The Jain sources place him between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE whereas historians consider that he lived in the 8th and 7th century BCE.
Padmāvatī is the protective goddess or śāsana devī (शासनदेवी) of Pārśvanātha, the twenty-third Jain tīrthāṅkara, complimenting Parshwa yaksha in Swetambara and Dharanendra in digambar the shasan deva. She is a yakshini of Parshwanatha.
Rishabhanatha, also Rishabhadeva, Rishabha or Ikshvaku, is the first tirthankara of Jainism. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology, and called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. The legends depict him as having lived millions of years ago. He was the spiritual successor of Sampratti Bhagwan, the last Tirthankara of the previous time cycle. He is also known as Ādinātha, as well as Adishvara, Yugadideva, Prathamarajeshwara and Nabheya. He is also known as Ikshvaku, establisher of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanath, Neminath, and Shantinath, Rishabhanatha is one of the five Tirthankaras that attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.
Śāntinātha or Śānti is the sixteenth Tīrthaṅkara of Jainism in the present age. According to traditional accounts, he was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aćira of the Ikshvaku dynasty in the north Indian city of Hastinapur. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the Indian calendar. He was also a Chakravarti and a Kamadeva. He ascended to the throne when he was 25 years old. After over 25,000 years on the throne, he became a Jain monk and started his penance.
Munisuvrata or Munisuvratanatha was the twentieth Tirthankara of the present half time cycle (avasarpini) in Jain cosmology. He became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of his karma. Events of the Jaina version of Ramayana are placed at the time of Munisuvrata. Munisuvrata lived for over 30,000 years. His chief apostle (gaṇadhara) was sage Malli Svāmi.
In Jainism, Ambika or Ambika Devi is the yakshini "dedicated attendant deity" or Śāsana Devī "protector goddess" of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminatha. She is also known as Ambai, Amba, Kushmandini and Amra Kushmandini. She is often shown with one or more children and often under a tree. She is frequently represented as a pair with a small Tirthankar image on the top. The name ambika literally means mother, hence she is Mother Goddess. The name is also a common epithet of Hindu Goddess Parvati.
Jainism in North Karnataka flourished under the Chalukyas, Kadamba, Rashtrakutas, and Vijayanagara Empire. Imbued with religious feeling, patronage was extended towards the building of Jain temple and it garnered high repute among the people, particularly the ruling classes and the mercantile community; effectively getting treated as the state religion.
Varanga is a village in Karkala Taluk in Udupi district of Karnataka, India. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 4,011. This village is an important Jain center.
According to the Jain cosmology, the Śalākāpuruṣa "illustrious or worthy persons" are 63 illustrious beings who appear during each half-time cycle. They are also known as the triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣa. The Jain universal or legendary history is a compilation of the deeds of these illustrious persons. Their life stories are said to be most inspiring.
Digambara is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being Śvetāmbara (white-clad). The Sanskrit word Digambara means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing nor wearing any clothes.
Jain sculptures or Jain idols are the images depicting Tirthankaras. These images are worshiped by the followers of Jainism. The sculpture can depict any of the twenty-four tirthankaras with images depicting Parshvanatha, Rishabhanatha, or Mahāvīra being more popular. Jain sculptures are an example of Jain art. There is a long history of construction of Jain sculptures. Early examples include Lohanipur Torsos which has been regarded to be from the Maurya period, and images from the Kushan period from Mathura.
Ranakpur Jain temple or Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara is a Śvētāmbara Jain temple at Ranakpur dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha. The temple is located in a village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan. It is a major pilgrimage place for Śvetāmbara community.
Jainism is an Indian religion which is traditionally believed to be propagated by twenty-four spiritual teachers known as tirthankara. Broadly, Jainism is divided into two major schools of thought, Digambara and Śvetāmbara. These are further divided into different sub-sects and traditions. While there are differences in practices, the core philosophy and main principles of each sect is the same.
The Brahma Jinalaya, sometimes called as the Greater Jain Temple of Lakkundi, is an early 11th-century Mahavira temple in Lakkundi, Gadag District of Karnataka state, India. The temple is attributed to Attiyabbe, the wife of the local governor Dandanayaka Nagadeva. It faces east, has a mukhamandapa, a gudhamandapa and its sanctum is covered by a sur-temple style vimana superstructure. The temple is notable for its reliefs depicting Jaina artwork, statues of the Tirthankaras and the two statues of Brahma and Saraswati inside its inner mandapa.
Chavundaraya basadi or Chamundaraya basadi or Boppa-Chaityalya is one of the fifteen basadis located on the Chandragiri Hill in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Archaeological Survey of India has listed the Chavundaraya basadi in group of monuments in Shravanabelagola as Adarsh Smarak Monument.
Kere Basadi or Chaturmukha Basadi is a Jain temple located in Varanga village in Udupi district of Karnataka, India. This 12th-century temple is situated amidst of a lake giving it the name Kere Basadi. The temple is also known Chaturmukha Basadi as it houses a chaturmukha (four-faced) idol of tirthankaras. The temple is situated 26 km from Karkala, another popular Jain centre.
The Humcha Jain temples or Humcha basadis are a group of temples found in Humcha village of Shimoga district in Karnataka, India. They were constructed in the 7th century CE in the period of the Santara dynasty and are regarded as one of the major Jain centres of Karnataka. The Padmavati Basadi is the most well-known of these temples.
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The Lakshmeshwara Jain temples is a group of Jain temples in the town of Lakshmeshwara in the Gadag district of Karnataka.
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