| Tirthankara Rishabhanatha | |
|---|---|
1stTirthankara | |
 | |
| Other names | Ādinātha, Ādeśvara (the first conqueror), Ādarśa Puruṣa (perfect man),Ikṣvāku |
| Venerated in | Jainism |
| Predecessor | Sampratti (lastTirthankara of the previoustime-cycle) |
| Successor | Ajitanatha |
| Mantra | Oṃ Ṛṣabhadevāya Namaḥ Oṃ Śrī Ādināthāya Namaḥ |
| Symbol | Bull |
| Height | 500dhanuṣ (1,500 meters)[1] |
| Age | 8.4 million purvas (592.704 x 1018 years)[1][2][3] |
| Tree | Banyan |
| Color | Golden |
| Texts | Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita Āvaśyaka Niryukti Kalpa Sutra Bhaktāmara Stotra |
| Gender | Male |
| Festivals | Akshaya Tritiya |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | Ṛṣabha |
| Died | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Sumaṅgalā/Yaśasvatī Sunandā/Nandā[4][5] |
| Children | • 100 sons (including: ChakravartiBharata, princeNami, and KamadevaBahubali) • 2 daughters: Brāhmī and Sundarī (Mahasatis) Reference:[6] |
| Dynasty | Ikṣvākuvaṁśa |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
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Rishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), alsoRishabhadeva (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव,Ṛṣabhadeva),Rishabha (Devanagari: ऋषभ,Ṛṣabha) orIkshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु,Ikṣvāku), is the firsttirthankara (Supreme preacher) ofJainism.[7][8] 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 thesea 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.[6][9] He is also known asĀdinātha (lit. 'first Lord'),[9] as well asAadishvara (first Jina),Yugadideva (first deva of the yuga),Prathamarajeshwara (first God-king) andNabheya (son of Nabhi).[10][11] He is also known asIkshvaku, establisher of theIkshvaku dynasty. Along withMahavira,Parshvanatha,Neminatha, andShantinatha, Rishabhanatha is one of the five Tirthankaras that attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.[12]
According to traditional accounts, he was born to kingNabhi and queenMarudevi in the north Indian city ofAyodhya, also called Vinita.[6] He had two wives, Sumangalā and Sunandā. Sumangalā is described as the mother of his ninety-nine sons (includingBharata) and one daughter, Brahmi. Sunandā is depicted as the mother ofBahubali and Sundari. The sudden death of Nilanjana, one of the dancers sent byIndra in his courtroom, reminded him of the world's transitory nature, and he developed a desire for renunciation.
After his renunciation, the legends as described in major Jain texts such asHemachandra'sTrishashti-Shalakapurusha-Charitra andAdinathcharitra written by Acharya Vardhamansuri state Rishabhanatha travelled without food for 400 days.[13][14][15] The day on which he got his firstahara (food) is celebrated by Jains asAkshaya Tritiya. In devotion to Rishabhanatha,Śvetāmbara Jains perform a 400-day-long fast, in which they consume food on alternating days. This religious practice is known asVarshitap. The fast is broken onAkshaya Tritiya.[16][17] He attainedMoksha onMount Ashtapada. The textAdi Purana byJinasena,Aadesvarcharitra within theTrishashti-Shalakapurusha-Charitra byHemachandra are accounts of the events of his life and teachings. His iconography includes ancient idols such as atKulpak Tirth andPalitana temples as well as colossal statues such asStatue of Ahimsa,Bawangaja and those erected inGopachal hill. His icons include the eponymous bull as his emblem, theNyagrodha tree,Gomukha (bull-faced)Yaksha, andChakreshvariYakshi.
Rishabhanatha is known by many names including Adinatha, Adishwara, Yugadeva and Nabheya.[10]Ādi purāṇa, a majorJain text records the life accounts of Rishabhanatha as well as ten previous incarnations according to the Digambara tradition.[18] For Rishabhanatha's biography in accordance with theŚvetāmbara tradition is found in several texts such asHemachandra'sTrishashti-Shalakapurusha-Charitra andAdinathcharitra written by Acharya Vardhamansuri.[15] Jain tradition associates the life of atirthankara to five auspicious events called thepancha kalyanaka. These includegarbha (mother's pregnancy),janma (birth),diksha (initiation),kevalyagyana (omniscience) andmoksha (liberation).[2][19][20]
According toJain cosmology, the universe does not have a temporal beginning or end. Its "Universal History"[21] divides the cycle of time into two halves (avasarpiṇī andutsarpiṇī) with sixaras (spokes) in each half, and the cycles keep repeating perpetually. Twenty-four Tirthankaras appear in everyhalf, the first Tirthankara founding Jainism each time after the destruction ofdharma at the end of each half cycle of time. This is similar to, but not completely the same as the idea of destruction ofdharma at the end ofKali Yuga inHindu mythology. In the present time cycle, Rishabhanatha is credited as being the firsttīrthaṅkara. Usually, all thetīrthaṅkaras are born in the fourth spoke of the half cycle. However, Rishabhanatha is an exception as he was born at the end of the thirdhalf (known assukhamā-dukhamā erā).[4][22][23]
Rishabhanatha is said to be the founder ofJainism in the presentAvsarpini (a time cycle) by all sub-traditions and sects of Jainism.[4][8] Jain chronology places Rishabhanatha in historical terms, as someone who lived millions of years ago.[6][9][24] He is believed to have been born 10224 years ago and lived for a span of 8,400,000purva (592.704 × 1018 years).[1][2][25] His height is described in the Jain texts to be 500bows (1312ells), or about 4920 feet/1500 meters.[25][1][26] Such descriptions of non-human heights and age are also found for the next 21 Tirthankaras in Jain texts and according to Kristi Wiley – a scholar at University of California Berkeley known for her publications on Jainism. Most Indologists and scholars consider all the first 22 of 24 Tirthankaras to be prehistorical,[27] or historical and a part of Jain mythology.[1][28] However, among Jain writers and some Indian scholars, some of the first 22 Tirthankaras are considered to reflect historical figures, with a few conceding that the inflated biographical statistics are mythical.[29]
According toSarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a professor of comparative religions and philosophy at Oxford who later became the secondPresident of India, there is evidence to show that Rishabhdeva was being worshipped by the first century BCE. TheYajurveda[a] mentions the names of three Tirthankaras – Rishabha,Ajitanatha andArishtanemi, states Radhakrishnan, and "theBhāgavata Purāṇa endorses the view that Rishabha was the founder of Jainism".[30]
Rishabhanatha was born toNabhi andMarudevi, the king and queen ofAyodhya, on the ninth day of the dark half of the month ofChaitra (caitra krişna navamĩ).[4][31][32] His association to Ayodhya makes it a sacred town for Jains, as it is in Hinduism for the birth ofRama.[6] In Jain tradition, the birth of atirthankara is marked by 16auspicious dreams of the mother. These are believed to have been seen by Marudevi on the second day ofAshadha (a month of theJain calendar)krishna (the new moon). The dreams signified the birth of achakravartin or atirthankara, according to the supposed explanation byIndra to Marudevi.[33]
Rishabhanatha is believed to have had two wives, Sunanda and Sumangala.[4][34] Sumangala is claimed to be the mother of ninety-nine sons (includingBharata) and one daughter, Brahmi.[4][35] Sunanda is believed to be the mother ofBahubali and Sundari.[10] Jain texts state that Rishabhanatha taught his daughters Brahmi and Sundari,Brahmi script and the science of numbers (Ank-Vidya) respectively.[4] ThePannavana Sutra (2nd century BCE) and theSamavayanga Sutra (3rd century BCE) of theaagams followed by theŚvetāmbaras list many other writing scripts known to the ancient Jain tradition, of which the Brahmi script named after Rishabha's daughter tops the list.[36] His eldest son,Bharata, is stated to have ruled ancient India from his capital of Ayodhya.[37] He is described as a just and kind ruler in Jain texts, who was not attached to wealth or vices.[38]
Rishabhanatha was born inbhoga-bhumi or the age of omnipresent happiness.[4][21][39] It is further suggested that no one had to work because of miraculous wish-fulfilling trees called thekalpavrikshas.[4][21][39] It is stated that people approached the king for help due to decreased efficacy of the trees with passage of time.[4][21][40] Rishabhanatha is then said to have taught them six main professions. These were: (1)Asi (swordsmanship for protection), (2)Masi (writing skills), (3)Krishi (agriculture), (4)Vidya (knowledge), (5)Vanijya (trade and commerce) and (6)Shilp (crafts).[41][42][43] In other words, he is credited with introducingkarma-bhumi (the age of action) by founding arts and professions to enable householders to sustain themselves.[21][44][45] Rishabhanatha is credited in Jainism to have invented and taught fire, cooking and all the skills needed for human beings to live. In total, Rishabhanatha is said to have taught seventy-two sciences to men and sixty-four to women.[6] The institution of marriage is stated to have come into existence after his marriage to Sunanda marked the precedence.[4][44] According toPaul Dundas, Rishabhanatha, in Jainism, is thus not merely a spiritual teacher, but the one who founded knowledge in its various forms.[21] He is depicted as a form of culture hero for the current cosmological cycle.[21]
Traditional sources state that Rishabhanatha was the first king who established his capital atVinitanagara (Ayodhya).[41] He is claimed to have given first laws for governance by a king.[41] He is said to have established the three-foldvarna system based on professions consisting ofkshatriyas (warriors),vaishyas (merchants) andshudras (artisans).[21][41][46] Bharata is said to have added the fourthvarna,brahmin to the system.[47]
Jain legends talk about a dance of celestial dancers organised in Rishabhanatha's royal assembly hall byIndra, the heavenly-king of the first heaven.[48] Nilanjana, one of the dancers, is said to have died in midst of the series of vigorous dance movements.[47][49][50] The sudden death of Nilanjana is said to have reminded Rishabhanatha of the world's transitory nature, triggering him to renounce his kingdom, family and material wealth.[47][48][51] This dance incident is found in 100 BCE images found inKankali Tila.[48] He is then believed to have distributed his kingdom among his hundred sons.[47] Bharata supposedly got the city of Ayodhya and Bahubali is believed to have got the city ofTaxila and the kingdom ofGandhara (as per theŚvetāmbara tradition)[52][53][54] orPodanapur (as per the Digambara tradition).[47][50] He is believed to have become a monk in Siddharta-garden, in the outskirts of Ayodhya, underAshoka tree on the ninth day of the month ofChaitra Krishna (Hindu calendar).[47] Tirthankaras usually tear out five handfuls of their hair at initiation.Śvetāmbara textTrisasti-salaka-purusa-caritra mentions Rishabhanatha tore only four handfuls of his hair. Just as the moment he was about to pull and tear a fifth handful,Indra requested him not to do so, because the remaining hair 'shone like emerald on his golden soulders'.[55]
Jains believe that people did not know the procedure to offer food to a monk, since Rishabhanatha was the first one.[56][57] His great-grandson, Shreyansa, a king ofGajapura (nowHastinapur) after recalling his previous birth in which he had offered food to a Jain monk keeping in mind all the dietary restrictions and preparing it to be free from all faults, offered him sugarcane juice (ikshu-rasa) with required procedure to break 400-days-longfast.[57][58] Jains celebrate the event asAkshaya tritiya every year on the third day of the bright fortnight of the monthVaishaka (usually April).[57][59] It is believed to be the starting of the ritual ofahara-daana (food offerings) from layperson to mendicants.[21]
Rishabhanatha is said to have spent a thousand years performing austerities before attainingkevala jnana (omniscience) underAkshayavata in the town ofPurimatala[60] on the 11th day offalgun-krishna (a month in traditional calendar) after destroying all four of hisghati-karma.[6][57][61] TheDevas (heavenly beings) are suggested to have created divine preaching halls known assamavasaranas for him after that.[2] He is believed to have given thefive major vows for monks and 12 minor vows for laity.[62] He is believed to have established thesangha (four-fold religious order) consisting of male and female mendicants and disciples.[2][63] His religious order is mentioned inKalpa Sutra to have consisted of 84,000sadhus (male monks) and 3,000,000sadhvis (female monks).[64]
Rishabhanatha is said to have preached the principles of Jainism far and wide.[63][65] He is suggested to have attainedNirvana ormoksha, destroying all four of hisaghati-karma.[66] This is marked as liberation of his soul from the endless cycle of rebirths to stay eternally atsiddhaloka. His death is believed in Jainism to have occurred onAshtapada (also known asMount Kailash) on the fourteenth day ofMagha Krishna (Hindu Calendar).[65][67][68] His total age at that time is suggested to be 84lakhpurva years, with three years and eight and a half months remaining of the third era.[51][25] According to medieval era Jain texts, Rishabhanatha performed asceticism for millions of years, then returned to Ashtapada where he fasted and performing inner meditation to his moksha. They further state that Indra came with his fellow gods from the heavens after that, to perform rituals of the place from where Rishabhanatha attainedmoksha.[69]
Rishabhanatha's successor,Ajitanatha, is said to have been born 50lakh crore sagara after him.[25]
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TheĀdi purāṇa, a 9th-centurySanskrit poem,[18] and a 10th-centuryKannada language commentary on it by the poetAdikavi Pampa (fl. 941 CE), written inChampu style, a mix of prose and verse and spread over sixteen cantos, deals with the ten lives of Rishabhanatha and his two sons.[70][71] In 11th century,Śvetāmbara monk Acharya Vardhamansuri wroteAdinathcharit, an 11000-verse-long biography of Rishabhanatha in Prakrit. The life of Lord Rishabhanatha is also detailed inMahapurana ofJinasena,Trisasti-salaka-purusa-caritra by theŚvetāmbara monk AcharyaHemachandra,Kalpa Sutra (aŚvetāmbara Jain text written byBhadrabāhu that contains the biographies of some of the Tirthankaras), andJambudvipa-prajnapti.[72][73]Bhaktamara Stotra byAcharyaManatunga is one of the most prominent prayers mentioning Rishabhanatha.[74] There is mention ofRishabha inHindu texts, such as in theRigveda,Vishnu Purana andBhagavata Purana (in 5th canto).[75][76] In later texts, such as theBhagavata Purana, he is described as anavatar ofVishnu, a great sage, known for his learning and austerities.[72][77] Rishabhanatha is also mentioned inBuddhist literature. It speaks of severaltirthankara and includes Rishabhanatha along with:Padmaprabha,Chandraprabha,Pushpadanta,Vimalanatha,Dharmanatha, andNeminatha. ABuddhist scripture namedDharmottarapradipa mentions Rishabhanatha as an Apta (Tirthankara).[35]
Rishabhanatha is usually depicted in thelotus position orkayotsarga, a standing posture of meditation. The distinguishing features of Rishabhanatha are his long locks of hair which fall on his shoulders, and an image of a bull in sculptures of him.[78] In accordance with theŚvetāmbara tradition, almost all idols depicting Rishabhanatha have hairlocks on both his shoulders, in accordance with the mention of aloch (tearing out of hair) with four handfuls instead of the normal five handfuls inTrisasti-salaka-purusa-caritra, which makes his iconography distinctive from other Tirthankaras'.[55] Most of his iconography as per the beliefs of theŚvetāmbara tradition can be found atPalitana temples. Rishabhanatha's hairlocks have been depicted in first century CE sculptures found in Mathura and Causa.[79] Paintings of him usually depict legendary events of his life. Some of these include his marriage, andIndra performing a ritual known asabhisheka (consecration). He is sometimes shown presenting a bowl to his followers and teaching them the art of pottery, painting a house, or weaving textiles. The visit of his mother Marudevi is also shown extensively in painting.[80] He is also associated with his Bull emblem, theNyagrodha tree,Gomukha (bull-faced)Yaksha, andChakreshvariYakshi.[81]
Statue of Ahimsa, carved out of a single rock, is a 108 feet (33 m) tall (121 feet (37 m) including pedestal) statue of Rishabhanatha and is 1,840 sq feet in size. It is said to be the world's tallest Jain idol.[82] It is located 4,343 feet (1,324 m) above from sea level, atMangi-Tungi hills nearNashik (Maharashtra). Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records visited Mangi Tungi and awarded the engineer of the 108 ft tallRishabhdeva statue, C R Patil, the official certificate for the world's tallest Jain idol.[83][84] In 2016, a 108 feet idol of Rishabhnatha (Adinatha) was installed atPalitana.[85]
InMadhya Pradesh, there is theBawangaja (meaning 52 yards (156 ft)) hill, nearBarwani with a Gommateshvara figure covered on the top of it. This site is important to Jain pilgrims particularly on the full moon day in January.[86] The site has a Rishabanatha statue carved from a volcanic rock.[87] The 58.4 feet (17.8 m) Rishabhanatha Statue atGopachal Hill,Gwalior Fort,Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of Jain idols including 58.4 foot idol of Rishabhanatha were carved in the Gopachal Hill idol from 1398 CE to 1536 CE by rulers ofTomar dynasty rulers –Viramdev, Dungar Singh and Kirti Singh.[88]A 43 feet (13 m) statue of Rishabhanatha was unveiled at theAbhay Prabhavana Museum in 2024.[89]
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Rishabhanatha is one of the five most devotionally revered Tirthankaras, along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Shantinatha.[12] Various Jain temple complexes across India feature him, and these are important pilgrimage sites in Jainism. MountShatrunjaya, for example, is a hilly part of southernGujarat, which is believed to have been a place where 23 out of 24 Tirthankaras preached, along with Rishabha.[90] Numerous monks are believed to have attained their liberation from cycles of rebirth there, and a large temple within the complex is dedicated to Rishabha commemorating his enlightenment inAyodhya. The central Rishabha icon of this complex is called Adinatha or simplyDada (grandfather). This icon is the most revered of all themurtipujaka icons, believed by some in the Jain tradition to have miracle making powers, according to John Cort.[90] In Jain texts, Kunti and the five Pandava brothers of the Hindu EpicMahabharata came to the hill top to pay respects, and consecrated an icon of Rishabha at Shatrunjaya.[91] Important Rishabha temple complexes includePalitana temples,Dilwara Temples,Kulpakji,Kundalpur,Paporaji,Soniji Ki Nasiyan,Rishabhdeo,Sanghiji,Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir,Trilok Teerth Dham,Pavagadh andSarvodaya Jain temple.
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