Bhagvan Shreyansnath dev was born in Sihanpur, on twelfth day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun . His father name was Vishnu raja and Mother name was Vishnu Devi . After long span of life time, he took diksha 13th day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun along with 1000 other men’s.
After 2 months of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Shreyansnath attained (kevalgyan) salvation on 15th day of the dark half of the month of Magh and constellation of Sharavan.
On the third day of the dark half of the month of Shravan, Bhagwan Shreyansnath, along with other 1000 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Shreyansnath lived for 84 lakh years purv of which he spent 21,000,00 years as an ascetics and 2months of Meditation and Spiritual Practices.
It is believed that Shreyansnath prabhu was 80 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
In his earlier incarnation, the being that was to become Bhagavan Shreyansnath purified his soul as king Nalingulm, and went to the Mahashakra dimension of gods. From there he descended and took birth as Shreyans Kumar, the son of king Vishnuraja and queen Vishnu Devi of Simhapur. Shreyans Kumar was born on the twelfth day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapad. He had a normal princely life and ascended the throne when Vishnuraja retired. After a long reign Shreyans Kumar became a Shraman and within a short span of two months attained omniscience on the fifteenth day of the dark half of the month of Magh under a mango tree. He got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the third day of the dark half of the month of Shravan.
It was during his period that the being that was to be Bhagavan Mahavir reigned as the first Vasudev Triprishta. After the death of Triprishtha, his brother Baldev Achal became a disciple of Dharmghosh who was a follower of Shreyansnath. Achal got liberated in this birth.
Bhagvan Sheetalnath dev was born in Bhadilpur, on twelfth day of the dark half of the month Magh . His father name was King Dridhrath and Mother name was Nanda Devi. After long span of life time ,he took diksha on twelfth day of the dark half of the month Magh along with 1000 other men’s.
After 3 months of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Sheetalnath attained (kevalgyan ) salvation on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush and constellation of Purvashadha.
On the second day of the dark half of the month of Vaishaka, Bhagwan Sheetalnath, along with other 1000 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Sheetalnath lived for 1 lakh purv of which he spent 25000 purv as an ascetics and 3 months of Meditation and Spiritual Practices (sahdana/tap).
It is believed that Sheetalnath prabhu was 90 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Previous Birth of Lord Shitalnath:- The being that was to be Bhagavan Sheetalnath, in his previous but one birth was the king Padmottar of Sushima town in the Pushkarvar island. When his son reached adulthood the religious king gave his kingdom to the son and took Diksha from Tristadha Muni. Vigorous spiritual practices and worship of the pious souls as mentioned in the scriptures resulted in his acquiring the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Completing his age he reincarnated as the king of the Pranat dimension of gods.
Birth of Lord Shitalnath:- In Bhaddilpur town in the sub-continent of Bharat, ruled king Dridhratha. In the womb of his queen, Nanda, descended the being that was Padmottar, when he completed his age in the dimension of gods. One day when early in the morning King Dridhratha was busy in his work when a dasi (maid) of queen came and asked if queen can come and meet him now. Dridhratha, agreed and asked her to come in his study. The queen went in there and quietly stood beside the king. He was lost in a book. King asked her the purpose of coming so she added that she had seen some very auspicious dreams early in the morning. It was like a chain of fourteen (sixteen according to the Digambar Jain Sect) great things. King immediately said that these dreams were like the same as Bhagvan Suvidhinath’s mother saw. This meant that she was going to give birth to a pioused soul who would become Tirthankar. On the tweflth day of the month of Magh (according to Hindu Calendar), Nanda Devi gave birth to baby boy.
Naming ceremony of Lord Shitalnath:- One day during the pregnancy of queen, due to some strange ailment, king Dridhratha had high fever and acute burning sensation in his body. All the medicines, mantras, ointments were applied but Dridhratha could not feel a inch better. Queen was standing by his side and crying because she could not see the pain of her husband. Out of anxiety she put her hands on the head of the king and as if a miracle had happened. The moment queen pressed his head he got relief and he asked her put her hands on his shoulders too. To his own and everybody’s surprise wherever the queen touched, Dridhratha got relief. After this incident the king decided to name the new born as Sheetal (cool/calm).
Lord shitalnath As king:- from his childhood, Sheetalnath was a very decent child and very simple one. But he was famous for his obedience towards his parents. When he grew older he married at the request of his parents. He used to spend a lot of time in meditation and in the devotional works. One day King Dridhratha coronated his son as king and went in jungles to become an ascetic. King Sheetalnath was known for his planning and administration. All the neighboring kings use to come to him for advise and in the same process use to take some religious knowledge also.
Path of Renunciation:
One day King Sheetalnath was sitting alone and was lost in deep thoughts when he realized who he was in his past life and that he has come down to earth from the dimensions of the god. He felt upset that for how long will he keep on coming and going in the world. He decided to take diksha and achieve his ultimate target i.e. Nirvana/Moksha. He took permission from his mother, who already knew the day would come.
Sheetalnath transfered the responsibilities of the kingdom to his next generation and moved on his true ways. After a year’s donation of wealth he came out of the castle and removed his hair with his fist, removed all the worldly possessions, uttered the words “Namo Sidhanam” and disappeared in the crowd. Along with him thousands of other men and women, kings and servants did the same. The whole atmosphere was fragrant, musical and magical.
Omniscience and Nirvana:- He spent three months continuously under a Pipal Tree and on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush he attained omniscience (kevala gyana). For a long time he went place to place spreading knowledge and preaching people. On reaching Sammed shikharji he announced his one month fast, on dark half of the month of Vaishakh (according to the Hindu Calendar) he completed his fast as well as the circle of his life and death, he attained Nirvana.
Lord Pushpadanta the Ninth Tirthankar is also known by the name Suvidhinath. Pushpadanta became a siddha, a liberated soul that has destroyed all of its karma. Pushpadanta was born to King Sugriva of Kakandi and Rama Devi in the Ikshvaku race. Pushpadanta`s birth date was the fifth day of Margashirsha Krishna month. During his earlier incarnation as emperor Mahapadma of Pushkalvati Vijay purified his soul to him extant of earning Tirthankar- nam- and- gotra-karma.
Pushpadanta took birth in the Vijayant dimension of gods. From the Vijayant dimension he descended into the womb of queen Rama Devi, wife of king Sugriva of Kakandi town. When queen Rama was pregnant then she experienced an extraordinary capability to develop processes for doing even the most difficult of tasks. Everyone got overwhelmed at her skill. When the child, Pushpadanta was born the king Sugriva named him as Suvidhi. During the teething period of the child the mother got a craving for playing with flowers. As such, he was also popularly known as Pushpadant or flower-tooth.
Pushpadant lead a normal princely life of luxury and pleasure but was always aloof. He became an ascetic at an early age and attained omniscience only after four months rigorous spiritual practices. He got Nirvana at Sammed Sikharji on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Kartik.
The tradition of the four pronged religious ford started by Bhagavan Rishabhdev steadily became extinct after the Nirvana of Bhagavan Pushpadant. After his Nirvana, first the ascetic organization disintegrated and a time came when there was no ascetic left. The religious discourses two were given by common citizens or Shravaks.
In the tradition started by Bhagavan Rishabhdev the ninth Tirthankar re-who established the four pronged religious ford was Bhagavan Suvidhinath. During his earlier incarnation as emperor Mahapadma of Pushkalvati Vijay purified his soul to he extant of earning Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. He took birth in the Vijayant dimension of gods and from there he descended into the womb of queen Rama Devi, wife of king Sugriva of Kakandi town.
During the period of pregnancy queen Rama developed a strange capacity to develop processes for doing even the most difficult of tasks. Everyone got astonished at her skill. When the child was born the king accordingly named him as Suvidhi (correct procedure). During the teething period of the child the mother got a craving for playing with flowers. As such, he was also popularly known as Pushpadant (flower-tooth).
Suvidhinath had a normal princely life, but with detachment. He became an ascetic at an early age and attained omniscience only after four months rigorous spiritual practices. He got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Kartik.
Lord Chandraprabh was born in Chandrapuri, on 12th day of the dark half of the month of Paush. His father name was King Mahasen and Mother name was Lakshmana Devi. After long span of life time, he took diksha on thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush along with 1000 other men’s.
After 3 months of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Chandraprabh attained (kevalgyan ) salvation on 7th day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun and constellation of Anuradha.
On the 7th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapad, Bhagwan Chandraprabh , along with other 1000 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Chandraprabh lived for 10 lakh purv of which he spent 24 purvarg less of one lakh purv as an ascetics and 3 months of Meditation and Spiritual Practices (sahdana/tap).
It is believed that Chandraprabh prabhu was 150 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Previous Births of Lord Chandraprabhu :- In his birth as king Padma of Mangalavati town of Dhatkikhand, the being that was to become Bhagavan Chandraprabh earned Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Spending a lifetime as a god in Anuttar Vijay dimension he descended into the womb of queen Lakshmana, wife of king Mahasen of Chandranana town.
Life as Tirthankara:- During her pregnancy, one day the queen was looking at the splendors and glowing full-moon. All of a sudden she had a strange desire to drink the glowing streak of moon light. The king cleverly managed to satisfy this strange desire of a pregnant mother. On the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush the queen gave birth to a healthy son who was fair and glowing like the moon. He was named Chandraprabh (glow of the moon). Chandraprabh was apathetic towards the mundane pleasures and princely grandeur. After he ascended the throne his reign was short lived. He became an ascetic in the prime of his youth and just after three months of acute spiritual practices he became an omniscient. For a considerably long period he continued to enlighten the people and propagate the true religion. When his end approached he went to Sammetshikhar and after a month of long fast and meditation attained Nirvana.
was born in Varanasi, on twelfth day of the bright half of the month of Jaisthaya . His father name was Pratishthasen and Mother name was Prithvi Devi . After long span of life time, he took diksha on twelfth day of the bright half of the month of Jaisthaya along with 1000 other men’s.
After 9 months of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Suparshvanath attained (kevalgyan) salvation on sixth day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun and constellation of Vaishaka.
On seventh day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun, Bhagwan Suparshvanath>, along with other 500 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Suparshvanath lived for 20 lakh purv of which he spent 20 purvarg less of one lakh purv as an ascetics and 9 months of Meditation and Spiritual Practices.
It is believed that Suparshvanath prabhu was 200 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Bhagvan Padmaprabh dev was born in Kaushambi, on twelfth day of the dark half of the month of Kartik. His father name was King Dhar and Mother name was Susima. After long span of life time, he took diksha on 13th day of the dark half of the month of Kartik along with 1000 other men’s.
After 6 months of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Padmaprabh attained (kevalgyan) salvation on the full moon day (15th day) of the month of Chaitra and constellation of Chitra .
On the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Margshirsh, Bhagwan Padmaprabh, along with other 308 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Padmaprabh lived for 30 lakh purv of which he spent 13 purvarg less of one lakh purv as an ascetics and 6 months of Meditation and Spiritual Practices (sahdana/tap).
It is believed that Padmaprabh prabhu was 250 measure of bow (at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Previous Births of Lord Padmaprabhu:- Maharaj Aparajit ruled over Susima town in the Purvavideh area. He was a simple and religious person. He got detached after listening to the discourse of an Arhat and took Diksha from Acharya Pihitashrava. As a result of long spiritual practices he earned Trithankar-nama-gotra-karma. Completing his age, he reincarnated as a god in the Graiveyak dimension.
Life As Tirthankara:-
From the dimension of gods, the being that was Aparajit descended into the womb of queen Susima, wife of the king Kaushambi. One day queen Susima had a desire to sleep on a bed made up of lotus flowers. As this was a desire of a pregnant mother, the gods made arrangements for its fulfillment. On the twelfth day of the dark half of the month of Kartik the queen gave birth to a son. The new born had a soft pink glow like lotus flowers. The king named him as Padmaprabh.
In due course the prince became young and was married. When his father left for spiritual practices, Padmaprabh ascended the throne. After a long and successful reign, when through his threefold knowledge he knew that the right moment has come, he became an ascetic. After six months of spiritual practices, on the full moon day of the month of Chaitra he attained omniscience under a banyan tree. Propagating right religion for a long time, Bhagavan Padmaprabh wandered around and at last arrived at Sammetshikhar. He attained Nirvana on the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Margshirsh.
Bhagvan Sumatinath dev was born in Koshalpur in ayodhya, on eighth day of the bright half of the month of Vaishaka. His father name was King Megh and Mother name was Mangalavati Devi. After long span of life time, he took diksha on 9th day of the bright half of the month of Vaishaka along with 1000 other men’s.
After 20 years of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Sumatinath attained (kevalgyan) salvation on eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra and constellation of Magha .
On the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, Bhagwan Sumatinath, along with other 1000 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Sumatinath lived for 40 lakh purv of which he spent 12 purvarg less of one lakh purv as an ascetics and 20 years of Meditation and Spiritual Practices. It is believed that Sumatinath prabhu was 300 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Previous Birth of Lord Sumtinath:- Vijayasen was the king of Shankhpur town in the Purva Mahavideh area. He had a son named Purushasimha. While he had gone for a walk in the garden one day, the prince listened to the discourse of Acharya Vinayanandan Dev. He became detached and a turned ascetic. As a result of vigorous penance and higher spiritual practices, he earned the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Completing his age, he reincarnated as a god in the Vijayant dimension.
Birth of Lord Sumtinath:-
From Vijayant dimension, the soul that was Purushasimha descended into the womb of queen Mangalavati/Sumangala, wife of king Megh of Ayodhya. The news of the queen being pregnant made the atmosphere of Ayodhya live with happiness and joy.
One day two women and a little boy came to the kings court to seek justice. One of the women put forth her case before the king, “Sire! We both are wives of a rich seafaring merchant. Our husband has left for his heavenly abode leaving behind we two, a son, and heaps of wealth. The child truly belongs to me but this second wife of the merchant claims to be her. This is nothing but a conspiracy to grab the wealth that would be inherited by the child. Save me, my Lord! I seek my son and justice from you.”
The story narrated by the other woman was also the same. Shouting charges and counter charges at each other, both the women claimed the possession of the child. The child could not indicate his true mother as he had got equal affection from both. As the boy was born in some remote place, there was no eye witness available.
The king was in a quandary. Even after a lot of probing and weighing the evidence he could not solve the problem. Any ill conceived solution could end up in doing injustice to the innocent. The king and his ministers all could end up in doing injustice to the innocent. The king and his ministers all were in a fix. The night was approaching and the king was getting late for his dinner. He adjourned the case and went into the palace for dinner.
The queen asked, “Today you are late for the dinner, your highness. What is the matter? Was there some complex problem?”
The king narrated the case of the two women and their child and said, “No one is able to say firmly, which one of the women is the real mother of the child and which one is the pretender?” The queen said with a smile, “Your Highness, let a woman solve the problems of women. Send the case to me and allow me to resolve the issue.”
Next morning the queen herself came to the kings court. Both the women and their son were produced before the queen. There was no apparent indication in the behavior and disposition of the two women that could give any indication of the genuineness of one. All of a sudden, the queen got an inspiration and she said, “This enigma has no simple solution. There is one object and two claimants. The object, being a person, cannot be split into two. Under the circumstances the only solution I can think of is to keep the matter pending. I carry a pious soul in my womb. Let us wait till it is born and is ready to resolve this issue. during the period of waiting, let the son and the property of the deceased be taken into the custody of the state. Till then the claimants may wait.”
Hearing all of this one of the claimants readily accepted the arrangement but the other started weeping. In a choked voice she said, “No! Please don’t separate me from my son. I will not be able to survive without my son for such a long period, I withdraw my claim. Let the other woman take the child as well as all the property of my husband. My only submission is that I may be allowed at least meet the child. I will be contented with that only.”
The queen recognized the pain and concern of a mother’s heart. She gave her judgment, “The woman who immediately agreed to my proposal is the impostor. Her attachment is not to the child but to the wealth. She may be imprisoned. The one who wants to surrender her claim is the real mother. The child and the wealth may be given to her with all honor.”
Everyone present in the assembly was dumbstruck by this witty method of judgment. The impostor pleaded guilty and submitted to be pardoned.
On the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakh, the queen gave birth to a son. A wave of peace and goodwill swept the whole world. Appreciating the fact that the marked improvement in wisdom and sense of judgment during the pregnancy was the influence of the presence of the illustrious and pious soul, king Megh named the new born as-Sumati (wisdom or right thinking.
Omniscience and Nirvana:- When he became a young man, Sumati Kumar was married, and in due course inherited the kingdom. King Megh became an ascetic. After a long and peaceful reign Sumatinath, too, became an ascetic. He attained omniscience under a Priyangu tree on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra. He established the four pronged religious ford and became a Tirthankar. On the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra he got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar.
Bhagvan Abhinandan was born in Ayodhya, on second day of the bright half of the month of Magh, around midnight. His father name was Samvar and Mother name was Siddharth . After long span of life time, he took diksha on 12th day of the bright half of the month of Magh along with 1000 other ascetics’ mens.
After 18 years of diksha and worldly life abandonment Lord Abhinandan attained (kevalgyan) salvation on fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Paush and constellation of Abhijeet
On the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Vaishaka, Bhagwan Abhinandan, along with other 1000 saints was liberated and attained nirvana on Sammet Shikhar (mountain).
Bhagwan Abhinandan Dev lived for 50 lakh purv of which he spent, 8 purvarg less of one lakh purv as an ascetics and 18 years of Meditation and Spiritual Practices (sahdana/tap).
It is believed that Abhinandan prabhu was 350 measure of bow(at that time unit of measurement was bow i.e. bow of bow & arrow) in height.
Previous Birth of Lord Abhinandannath :-
In his previous incarnation Lord Abhinandannath’s soul was Mahabal, the king of Ratnasanchay/Mangalavati town in Purva Mahavideh Kshetra. Although a king, he was a simple and humble person. When people praised him, he thought that why people praised him even in absence of any virtues? When someone criticized him he would humbly say, “You are my true well-wisher and a friend who helps my progress by pointing out my faults.” He became influenced by the sayings of Acharya Sri Vimal chandra that “World is full of challenges and our body is mortal, human life is difficult to get and only a human can attain complete ‘moksh’ and this is the only time when you can try and attain salvation”. A feeling of detachment grew in him, he found an opportune moment and took Diksha from Vimal Suri.
Due to his simplicity and humility he became a very popular and ideal Sharman in his group. It is said that as a result of this rare disposition and deep meditational practices he purified his soul to an extent that he acquired the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Completing his age, he reincarnated as a god in the Vijay dimension.
Birth of Lord Abhinandannath:- When the being that was Mahabal left the Vijay dimension, he descended into the womb of queen Siddhartha, wife of king Samvar of Ayodhya. The queen gave birth to the future Tirthankar on the second day of the bright half of the month of Magh.
Naming Ceremony :- As a result of the simplicity of attitude inherited from the earlier birth, the soul in the womb of the queen had a soothing and pacifying influence on the outer world. The people of the kingdom were suddenly filled with the feelings of humility and fraternity. Irrespective of age, caste, creed and status every one started greeting and honoring others. Politeness and polished manners became the thing in vogue. The augurs and other scholars confirmed that as the aura of a pious soul influences all the people around, the effusion of politeness was caused by the soul in the womb. As the influence of this soul was evident in the overt mutual greetings, the king named his son as Abhinandan (greeting).
Lord Abhinandannath as prince and king:-
As Abhinandan Kumar grew up, he was married to many princesses of different regions. Whenever he used to walk along with them he used to say, “This is a trap in which I am leading my life. How will I come out of it?”.
Time passed by and everything was running smoothly. One day, while reading a book, King Samvar felt detached and wanted to leave the kingdom and move to the jungles to lead a life of ascetic and attain salvation. He handed over the throne to Abhinandan and became a ascetic and went into jungles for meditation.
Path of Renunciation:- as time passed Abhinandan lead normal mundane life with least indulgence. One day while in meditation, King Abhinandan saw all of his past life and his true motive of getting this birth. He decided to leave everything and move towards his goal i.e. complete salvation / moksha. In the month of magh, King Abhinandan removed all the worldly belongings from his body, pulled out his hair with the fist, said, “Namo Siddhanam” and disappeared in the crowd. He became an ascetic and indulged in rigorous penance and lofty spiritual practices.
Omniscience and Nirvana:- He attained omniscience on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush. For a long period Bhagavan Abhinandan moved around to show the right path to millions of beings. On the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakah he attained Nirvana at Sammed Shikharji.
Sambhavanath was the third Jain Tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Sambhavnath was born to King Jitari Raja and Queen Saina Rani at Sravasthi in the Ikshvaku clan. His birth date was the fourteenth day of the Margshrsha shukla month of the Indian calendar.
Previous Birth: –
A long time after the Nirvana of Bhagavan Ajitnath, the city of Kshempuri in the Airavat area of Mahavideh was ruled by king Vipulvahan. He was a soft hearted and compassionate ruler who loved and cared for his subjects. Once when there was a devastating drought and the population was deprived even of a few drops of water, the king opened his grain yards for the public, his kitchen for the monks and ascetics and his treasury for the import of food grains. He instructed the caretaker of his personal kitchen that the doors of his kitchen should be open to all and sundry. All guests should be given priority over himself. Whatever little is left should be served to him. If nothing is left he would be contented with the pleasure of serving his guests. During the drought there were many occasions when the king remained unfed and thirsty.
As a result of this sublime feeling of compassion, Vipulvahan acquired unique purity of soul and earned the Trithankr-nam-and-gotra-karma. Although, after the drought normalcy returned, the torture of the living world by the nature left a mark on Vipulvahan’s psyche. One day while he was standing on the roof top he witnessed dense rain clouds being scattered by wind. A feeling of intense detachment grew in him. He handed over his kingdom to his son and took Diksha from Svayamprabh Suri. After completing his age he reincarnated in the Anat dimension of gods.
Life As Tirathanker :-
From the Anat dimension, the being that was Vipulvahan descended into the womb of queen Sena Devi, wife of king Jitari of Shravasti. While this being was still in the mother’s womb there were sufficient rains and abundant crop. One day when the king and queen were happily watching the lush green vegetation all around, from their roof top, the king said, “My dear! This time even the waste-land is filled with grain crop. It seems that all this that is impossible, has been made possible (Sambhav) due to the auspicious influence of the pious soul you carry in your womb. We shall call our son- Sambhav.”
On the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Margshrish, the queen gave birth to a healthy son and he was ceremoniously named Sambhav Kumar. The little prince grew up in royal comfort but he hardly ever took more than cursory interest in the luxurious life style. At the appropriate age Sambhav Kumar was married and crowned. After a long and peaceful reign he became an ascetic on the fifteenth day of the bright half of the month of Margshrish. After a fourteen year period of spiritual practices, he attained omniscience. Arhat Sambhavnath gave his first discourse on the ephemeral nature of the mundane existence. For a long period he worked for the spread of religion. He attained Nirvana on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra.
Queen Vijaya Devi saw fourteen auspicious dreams. Vaijayanti, the wife of king Jitshatru’s younger brother, Sumitra, also saw the same fourteen dreams. This was a queer coincidence. When the augurs were consulted they advised that Vijaya Devi would give birth to a Tirthankar and Vaijayanti to a Chakravarti (Emperor).
During the queen’s pregnancy, the influence of king Jitshatru was enhanced to such an extant that even the enemy kingdoms sought and negotiated friendly treaties with him. It became a common practice to say, “King Jitshatru is invincible (Ajit).”
The queen gave birth to a son on the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Magh. Inspired by the popular lore, the king named the new born as the Ajit. The same night Vaijayanti also gave birth to a son who was named Sagar. Then both the princes came of age they were married. Time passed with the fusion of happiness.
When king Jitshatru became old and wanted to devote the last part his life to spiritual pursuits, he called his younger brother and asked him to take over the throne. Sumitra had no desire for the kingdom; he, too, wanted to become an ascetic. Both the princes were called and offered the kingdom. Ajit Kumar was a naturally detached person since childhood, and so he too declined. At last prince Sagar ascended the throne.
Ajit Kumar became an ascetic in his youth and went into remote and dense forests for his meditation and penance. His personality and the intensity of his lofty practices cast a pacifying influence all around. Natural enemies in the animal kingdom, like the lion and cow, wolf and deer, snake and mongoose used to come and sit around him peacefully.
After a twelve-year period of deep meditation and other spiritual practices Ajit Kumar attained omniscience on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Paush. The gods created the divine pavilion and Bhagawan Ajitnath gave his eloquent and magnetic discourses. Thousands of people accepted the path of renunciation.
King Sagar, during this period, conquered the six continents and became Chakravartin. King Meghvahan and Vidyadhar Bhim, the ruler of the island of Rakshasas (demons), were the illustrious contemporaries of Emperor Sagar. Once they went to a discourse of Bhagavan Ajitnath. There, Vidyadhar Bhim was drawn towards spiritual life. He became so detached that he gave his kingdom including the famous cities of Lanka and Patal Lanka to king Meghvahan. He also gave all his knowledge and miraculous powers to Meghvahan. He also gave a divine necklace of nine large and shining beads. Meghvahan was the first king of the Rakshas clan in which the famous king Ravana was born.
Death if sagar’s sixty thousand sons:-
Emperor Sagar had thousands of queens and sixty thousand sons. Eldest among them was Janhu Kumar. Once all the princes went for an outing. When they arrived at the base of Astapad hills, they dug up large ditches and canals. In their youthful abandon they flooded these canals with the water of river Ganges. This flash flood inundated the houses and villages of the lower gods known as Nag Kumars. The king of these gods, Jwalanprbh came and tried to stop them in vain. The unruly princes were intoxicated with the regal power. At last Jwalanprabh lost his temper and turned all the sixty thousand princes to ashes.
This sudden death of all his sons was a traumatic experience for Emperor Sagar. He handed over the empire to his eldest grandson, Bhagirath, and took Diksha from Bhagavan Ajitnath.
When his last moments were approaching, Bhagavan Ajitnath went Sammetshikhar. With one thousand other ascetics, he commenced his final meditation. He attained Nirvana on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra.
Lord Ajitnath as a Historical figure:- The 2nd Jain Tirthankar Ajitanatha, was born in Ayodhya. The Yajurveda mentions the name of Ajitanatha, but the meaning is not clear. His younger brother, according to Jain traditions, was Sagara who became the second Chakravarti. He is known from the traditions of both Hinduism and Jainism as found in their respective Hindu scriptures Puranas.
jainism in 21st century 