Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) in Jainism. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. Neminatha lived 81,000 years before the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. He was the youngest son of king Samudravijaya and queen Shivadevi. Krishna, who was the 9th and last Jain Vasudev, was his first cousin. He was born at Sauripura (Dvaraka), Sauripura in the Yadu lineage, like Krishna. His birth date was the fifth day of ''Shravana Shukla'' of the Jain calendar. On his wedding day Neminatha heard the cries of animals being killed for the marriage feast, he left marriage and freed animals and he renounced the world to become a monk – a scene found in many Jain artwork. He had attained ''Moksha (Jainism), moksha'' on Girnar Hills near Junagadh, a pilgrimage center for Jains.

Nomenclature

The name Neminatha consists of two Sanskrit words, ''Nemi'' which means "rim, felly of a wheel" or alternatively "thunderbolt", and ''natha'' which means "lord, patron, protector". According to the Jain text ''Uttarapurana'', as well as the explanation of Hemachandra, 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". In ''Svetambara'' Jain texts, his name ''Aristanemi'' came from a dream his mother during pregnancy, where she saw a "wheel of ''Arista'' jewels". His full name is mentioned as ''Aristanemi'' which is an epithet of the sun-chariot. Neminatha's name is spelled close to the 21st ''tirthankara'' Naminatha.

Life

Neminatha was the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) of the ''avasarpiṇī'' (present descending cycle of Jain cosmology). Jain tradition place him as a contemporary of Krishna, the eighth and last ''vasudev''. There was a gap of 581,750 years between the Neminatha and his predecessor, Naminatha as per traditional beliefs. He lived approx. 81000 years before the 23rd ''tirthankara'', Parshvanatha as per the ''Trishashtishalakapursusha Charitra'' of Acharya Hemachandra.

Birth and early life

Neminatha is mentioned as the youngest son of king Samudravijaya and queen Shivadevi of the Yadu lineage, born at Sauripura (Dvaraka). He 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). His birth date is believed to be the fifth day of ''Shravana Shukla'' of the Hindu calendar. He is believed to have been born with a dark-blue skin complexion, very handsome but a shy young man. His father is mentioned as the brother of Vasudeva, Krishna's father, therefore the he is mentioned as the cousin of Krishna in ''Trishashti-salaka-purusha-charitra''. Sculptures found in Kankali Tila, Mathura of Kushana period depicts Krishna and Balarama as cousins of Neminatha. 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. According to the texts, no one could lift the conch except Krishna, let alone blow it. After this event, ''Puranas'' state 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. He is also mentioned as spinning the chakra (discuss, primary weapon of Krishna) on his fingers during his childhood.

As a teacher

In the Kurukshetra War, war between Krishna and Jarasandha, Neminatha is believed to have participated alongside Krishna. He is believed to have taught Krishna the knowledge that he shared with Arjuna in the ''Bhagavad Gita''. This is believed to be the reason that has led Jains to accept, read and cite the same as a spiritually important text. This is believed to be the reason for celebrating Krishna related festivals in Jainism and for intermingle with Hindus, who worship Krishna as one of the incarnation of Vishnu. ''Chandogya Upanishad'', a religious text in Hinduism, mentions Angiras Ghora as the teacher of Krishna. 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 of the scholars. 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.

Renunciation and final days

Jain temples on Girnar mountain aerial view

Jain tradition holds that the Neminatha's marriage was arranged with Rajulakumari or Rajimati or Rajamati, daughter of Ugrasena. Ugrasena is believed to be the king of Dvārakā and maternal grandfather of Krishna. 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. His bride-to-be is believed to have followed him, becoming a nun and joining his ascetic order. According to ''Kalpasutras'', Neminatha led an ascetic life there by eating only once every three days, meditated for 55 days and then obtained omniscience on Mount Raivataka, under a Mahavenu tree. According to Jain texts Neminatha had 11 gandhara with ''Varadatta Svami'' as the leader of the Neminatha disciples. 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''. After a life of about 1,000 years, he is said to have attained ''Moksha (Jainism), moksha'' (nirvana) on the fifth peak or tonk (Urjayant Parvat) of Mount Girnar. 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.

Legacy

Worship

Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. Unlike the last two ''tirthankaras'', historians consider Neminatha and all other ''tirthankaras'' to be legendary characters. Scenes from Neminatha's life are popular in Jain art. The yaksha and yakshi of Neminatha are Sarvanha and Ambika (Jainism), Ambika according to Digambara tradition and Gomedha and Ambika according to Śhvētāmbara tradition.

Literature

The Jain traditions about Neminatha is incorporated in the ''Harivamsa Purana'' of Jinasena. 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. Rajul's love for Neminatha is described in the ''Rajal-Barahmasa'' (an early 14th-century poem of Vijayachandrasuri). The incident were Neminatha is depicted as blowing Krishna's mighty conch is given in ''Kalpa Sūtra''. The separation of Rajul and Neminatha has been a popular theme among Jain poets who composed Gujarati language, 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. A poem ''Neminatha Chatushpadika'' (1269) by Vinaychandra depicted the same story. ''Arddha Nemi'', the "Unfinished Life of Nemi", is an incomplete epic by Janna, one of the most influential Kannada poets of the 13th century. ''Nemidutam'' composed by Acharya Jinasena, 9th century, is an adoration of Neminatha. Jains claim that Hindu sage Arishtnemi who is mentioned in ''Vedas'' is Neminath but Arishtnemi was Brahmin and Neminath was Kshatriya. And their time period were also different.

Iconography

Neminatha is believed to have had the same dark-bluish colored skin as Krishna. Painting depicting his life stories generally identify him as dark colored. 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). Artworks showing Neminatha sometimes include Ambika (Jainism), Ambika ''yakshi'', but her color varies from golden to greenish to dark-blue, by region. The earliest known image of Neminatha was found in Kankali Tila dating back to c. 18 CE. File:043 Cave 11, Relief (33969644505).jpg, Neminatha, Nasik Caves, 6th century File:MET_DP161523.jpg, Akota Bronzes, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MET museum, 7th century File:Neminath Bhagwan.jpg, Pandavleni File:Neminath, National Museum, New Delhi.jpg, Neminath Sculpture, National Museum, New Delhi, 11th Century File:Maharaja_Chhatrasal_Museum_Dhubela_Exhibit_Item_(4).JPG, Image at Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum, 12th century File:Jain Tirthankara Neminath - Circa 12th Century CE - ACCN 00-B-77 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5079.jpg, Neminath idol, Government Museum, Mathura, 12th Century File:Neminatha - Parshvanath temple, Tijara.jpg, Depiction of Neminatha on Naag as bed, chakra on foot finger and conch played by nose at Tijara Jain temple, Parshvanath temple, Tijara

Temples

* Girnar Jain temples * Tirumalai (Jain complex) * Shanka Basadi, Lakshmeshwara * Kulpakji * Arahanthgiri Jain Math * Nemgiri * Dilwara Temples * Bhand Dewal, Arang * Odegal basadi File:Jain temple at Lakkundi.jpg, Brahma Jinalaya File:Shree Kulpakji Jain Temple, Kolanpak, Aler.JPG, Kulpakji File:Upper Temple Complex at Tirumalai.jpg, Arahanthgiri Jain Math File:Chavundaraya Basadi on Chandragiri hill at Shravanabelagola.jpg, Chavundaraya Basadi in Shravanabelagola File:9th century Bhand Deul Jain brick temple, Arang Chhattisgarh.jpg, Bhand Dewal File:Old jain temple belgaum (1).jpg, Kamal Basadi

References

Citations

Sources

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