| Shantinatha | |
|---|---|
 A 12th centuryŚvetāmbara idol of Tirthankara Shantinatha atChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya | |
| Venerated in | Jainism |
| Predecessor | Dharmanatha |
| Successor | Kunthunatha |
| Symbol | Deer orAntelope |
| Height | 40 bows (120 metres) (393.701 feet) |
| Age | 100,000 years |
| Tree | Nandi tree |
| Color | Golden |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Parents |
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| Spouse | Yaśomatī |
| Dynasty | Ikshvaku dynasty |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
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Śāntinātha (Sanskrit:शान्तिनाथ) orŚānti is the sixteenthTīrthaṅkara ofJainism in the present age (Avasarpini).[2] According to traditional accounts, he was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aćira of theIkshvaku dynasty in the north Indian city ofHastinapur. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the Indian calendar. He was also aChakravarti and aKamadeva. He ascended to the throne when he was 25 years old. After over 25,000 years on the throne, he became aJain monk and started his penance.
After renunciation, the legends state that he travelled without food and sleep and after sixteen years received his firstahara (food) after achievingkevala gnana. He attainedMoksha onSammed Shikharji and became asiddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of itskarma.
Along withRishabhanatha,Neminatha,Parshvanatha andMahavira, Shantinatha is one of the five Tirthankaras who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. His icons include the eponymous deer as his emblem, theNandi tree,GarudaYaksha, andNirvaniYakshi.
Śhāntinātha is believed to be an idea of peace and tranquillity, hence prayed to avert calamities and epidemics and bestows welfare to worshippers and hymns toŚhāntinātha are recited during the last rites.
According toJain cosmology, 24Tirthankaras have appeared on earth; Shantinatha is the sixteenthtirthankara ofAvasarpiṇī (the presenttime cycle).[2][note 1] ATirthankara (ford-maker, saviour or spiritual teacher) signifies the founding of atirtha, a passage across the sea ofbirth-and-death cycles.[4][5]
He was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aćira atHastinapur on the 13th day ofJestha Krishna in theIkshvaku clan.[6] Before the birth of Shantinatha, Queen Aćira dreamt themost auspicious dreams (fourteen according to theŚvetāmbara tradition and sixteen according to the Digambara tradition).[7] According toŚvetāmbara monk AcharyaHemachandra, epidemics, evils and misery were destroyed when Shantinatha was in his mother's womb. According to Jain tradition,Indra named himŚhānti due to Jinas' love for peace.[6]
Shantinatha spent 25,000 years as a youth (kumāra kāla) and married a beautiful princess Yaśomatī.[8][7][9] Jain texts portray Shantinatha as tall; his height was given as 120 feet (37 m).[10] He ruled his kingdom for 50,000 years.[11] During his rule, armoury was blessed with divinechakraratna. During his reign he conquered all six divisions of the earth in all directions, acquiring elephants, horses, nine-fold most precious treasures and fourteenratna (jewels). Shantinatha became the fifthChakravartin.[8][12][9]
During his time, an epidemic ofepilepsy broke out and he helped to control it.[9] Shantinath became the idea of peace and tranquillity by averting epidemics, fire, famine, foreign invasions, robbers, etc., giving him the name ofShantinath. He is also associated with special right to ward of diseases known asShantikarma.[13][14]
Shantinatha, when made aware of his previous incarnations, renounced his worldly life and became a Jain ascetic.[12] According to Jain texts, Shantinatha neither slept nor ate during his penance and meditated undernandi tree. After his sixteen years of asceticism, on the ninth bright day of the month ofPausha (December–January), he achievedkevala jnana .[13]
After achievingkevala jnana he visited Somanasapur, and was offered firstahara (food) by King Dharma Mitra and his wife.[15]
He is said to have lived 1 lakh (100,000) years and spent many years spreading his knowledge.[8] On the 13th day of the dark half of the monthJyestha (May–June), he attainednirvana atSammed Shikharji,[13][12][note 2] known contemporaneously as theParasnath Hills in northernJharkhand.[18]
Theyaksha andyakshi of Shantinatha are Kimpurusha and Mahamanasi according toDigambara tradition andGaruda and Nirvani according toŚvētāmbara tradition.[13]
According to Jain texts, Cakrayudha Svami was the leader of the Shantinatha disciples.[12][6]
Śhāntinātha being an idea of peace and tranquillity, it is believed that chanting the name Śhāntinātha averts calamities and epidemics and bestows welfare to worshippers.[24] In theŚvetāmbara tradition, Nirvāṉi, the yakshi of Śhāntinātha, is also associated with Shantinatha as Śhānti-devī in prayers for peace.[13] During the last rites, recitation ofNamokar Mantra and hymns to theJina andŚhāntinātha are performed.[25]
Shanti Snaatra Puja is a special prayer for universal peace and the welfare of all living beings. During the prayer, offerings are made 27 or 108 times to Shantinatha.[26] TheLaghnu-Shanti-stavaa, compiled by Manadeva suri in the 7th century, is a hymn to Shantinatha full oftantric usage and identify Shantinatha asSiva, the Lord ofShanta.[27] According to Jinaprabha Suri, the temples dedicated to Shantinatha existed inKishkindha,Lanka andTrikuta.[13]
According toSantistava compiled by Acharya Manadevasuri, anAcharya of theŚvetāmbara sect in the third century, mere recitation of Shantinatha's name negates all bad omens, brings peace and protects devotees from problems.[28]Santistava is considered byŚvetāmbaras as one of the four most beautifully writtenstavans (hymn[29][30]).[31]Jinastotrāņi is a collection of hymn dedicated to Shantinatha along withMunisuvrata,Chandraprabha, Neminatha, Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha. OtherŚvetāmbara hymns that are dedicated to Shantinatha are theAjit-Shanti Stotra (a hymn dedicated to Shantinatha and the 2ndTirthankaraAjitanatha) and theBruhad-Shanti Stotra (a hymn dedicated to Shantinatha that is recited during theSnaatra Puja as per theŚvetāmbara tradition). During theChaityavandan (a ritual that consists of a series of hymns in obeisance to a Tirthankara), lay-followers of theŚvetāmbara tradition recite a hymnSakalkushalvalli which is dedicated to Shantinatha and the 23rdTirthankaraParshvanatha.[32]
Samantabhadra'sSvayambhustotra praises the twenty-fourtirthankaras, and its eightshlokas (songs) adore Shantinatha.[33] One suchshloka reads:
First, Lord Śhāntinātha Jina, for a long period of time, wielded supremacy as a king and provided protection to his subject from enemies; later on, on his own, became an ascetic and, as the embodiment of benevolence, pacified evil tendencies.
— Svayambhūstotra (16-1-76)[34]
TheShantinatha Charitra, by Acharya Ajitprabhasuri in 14th century, describes the life of the 16th Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha. This text is the oldest example of miniature painting and has been declared as a global treasure byUNESCO.[35] *Santyastaka is a hymn in praise of Śāntinātha composed by AcharyaPujyapada in the fifth century.[36] AcharyaHemachandra'sTrishashti-Shalakapurush-Charitra describes the previous births as well as the final birth of Shantinatha in detail as per theŚvetāmbara tradition.Shantipurana, written around the 10th century bySri Ponna, is considered to be one of the three gems of Kannada literature.[37][38][39]
Ajitasanti orAjita-Śhānti-stava composed by Acharya Nandisenasuri, a seventh century Jain monk, a famousŚvetāmbara hymn, has alternate verses praising Ajitnatha and Shantinatha.[40][13]Mahapurusha Charitra, compiled byMerutunga in the 13th—14th centuries, talks about Shantinatha.[41]Santikara was compiled by Munisundarasuri in the 15th century.[42]
Shantinatha is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a deer or antelope beneath him.[43][44] Everytīrthankara has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of thetirthankaras.[45][46][47] The deer or antelope emblem of Shantinath is usually carved below the legs of thetirthankara. Like alltirthankaras, Shantinath is depicted withShrivatsa[note 5] and downcast eyes.[48]
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In 2016, the tallest statue of Shantinatha, with a height of 54 feet (16 m), was erected in Ajmer.[49] The 32-foot (9.8 m) statue of Shantinath atPrachin Bada Mandir,Hastinapur andShantinath Jinalaya,Shri Mahavirji. Aggalayya Gutta inWarangal has a 30-foot (9.1 m) image carved in 11th century CE.[50] The 22.5-foot (6.9 m) statue of Shantinath atBhojpur Jain Temple.
Aharji enshrines a 22-foot (6.7 m) idol installed in 1180 CE.[51]Shantinatha basadi,Halebidu houses a 18 feet (5.5 m) idol.[52]Naugaza Digambar Jain temple inAlwar has 17.5-foot (5.3 m) colossi dated 922 CE.[53] The 15-foot (4.6 m) image atShantinatha temple, Khajuraho and Shantinath Basadi,Chandragiri.[54] The 12.5-foot (3.8 m) statue inBahuriband andPawagiri, built in the 12th century.[55][56]
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Along withRishabhanatha,Neminatha,Parshvanatha andMahavira, Shantinatha is one of the five Tirthankaras who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.[57] Various Jain temple complexes across India feature him, and these are important pilgrimage sites in Jainism.Hastinapur, for example, is a hilly part of Uttar Pradesh, which is believed to have been a place of Shantinath, along withAranatha andKunthunath.[58][59] Important Shantinatha temple complexes includeShantinatha Temple inKhajuraho (UNESCOWorld Heritage Site),Semliya Śvetāmbara Tirth, Bhopawar Śvetāmbara Tirth,Shantinatha temple, Halebidu,Prachin Bada Mandir,Hastinapur,Shantinath Temple inDeogarh,Shantinatha Basadi, Jinanathapura,Shantinath Jain Teerth,Aharji Jain Teerth,Shantinath Jain temple, Kothara,Odegal basadi,Pavagiri Tirth,Kanch Mandir ofIndore,Ladnu Jain temple and Shantinath Jain Temple inLeicester,United Kingdom.[60]
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