Trishala, also known as Videhadatta, Priyakarini, or Trishala Mata (Mother ''Trishala''), was the mother of

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6 ...

, the 24th

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the '' dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable pass ...

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

, and wife of the Jain monarch, Siddhartha of Kundagrama, of present-day

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

. She finds mention in the Jain texts.

Life

Trishala was born as a princess in the

royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

Licchavi Empire. Jain text, Uttarapurāṇa details the life of all Tirthankaras and other Salakapurusa. It is mentioned in the text that King Chetaka of Vaishali had ten sons and seven daughters. His eldest daughter Priyakarini (Trishala) was married to Siddartha. As per Indologist Hermann Jacobi, Vardhaman

's mother Trishala was sister of King Chetaka. His third wife, ''Kshema'', was a daughter of the chief of the Madra clan of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

. Trishala had seven sisters, one of whom was initiated into the Jain monastic order while the other six married famous kings, including Bimbisara of

Magadha Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was rul ...

. She and her husband Siddhartha were followers of Parshva, the 23rd Tirthankara. According to Jain texts, Trishala carried her son for nine months and seven and a half days during the 6th century BC. However, Svetambaras generally believe that he was conceived by Devananda, the wife of a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

Rishabhadatta and the fetus was transferred to Trishala's womb by

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

because all Tirthankaras have to be

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...

s. All this is mentioned in the Svetambara text, '' Kalpa sutra'', which is primarily a biography of the Tirthankaras.

Auspicious dreams

Detail of a leaf with, The Birth of Mahavira, from the Kalpa Sutra, c

According to the Jain scriptures, the mother of ''Tirthankaras'' see a number of auspicious dreams when the embryo is enliven through the descent of the life (soul) in the mortal body. This is celebrated as ''Garbha Kalyanaka''. According to the Digambara sect, the number of dreams is 16. While the ''Śvētāmbara'' sect believe them to be only fourteen. After seeing these dreams, she woke her husband King Siddhartha and told him about the dreams. The next day Siddhartha summoned the scholars of the court and asked them to explain the meaning of the dreams. According to the scholars, these dreams meant that the child would be born very strong, courageous, and full of virtue. # Dream of an elephant ( Airavata) # Dream of a bull # Dream of a lion # Dream of

Laxmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). Al ...

# Dream of flowers # Dream of a

full moon The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This mea ...

# Dream of the sun # Dream of a large banner # Dream of a silver urn (

Kalasha A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...

) # Dream of a lake filled with lotuses # Dream of a milky-white sea # Dream of a celestial vehicle (

Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also men ...

) # Dream of a heap of gems # Dream of a fire without smoke # Dream of a pair of fish (Digambara) # Dream of a throne (Digambara)

Legacy

Today members of the Jain religion celebrate the event of the Dreams. This event is called ''Swapna Darshan'' and is often part of "Ghee Boli". The parents of Tirthankaras and their mothers in particular are worshipped among Jains and are frequently depicted in paintings and sculpture.

References

Citations

Sources

* *
FreeIndia.org

JainWorld

Trishla Mata Temple Mahavirpuram

External links

{{Authority control Indian female royalty 6th-century BC Indian Jains Indian queen consorts Ancient Indian women Mahavira