Ajitnath
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Ajitanath (lit. invincible) was the second ''
tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English language, English: literally a 'Ford (crossing), ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the ...
'' of the present age, ''avasarpini'' (half time cycle) according to
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 being ...
. He was born to King Jitashatru and Queen Vijaya at
Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhy ...
in the
Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty i ...
. He was a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its ''
karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively ...
''.


Life

Ajitnatha (lit. invincible) was the second
tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English language, English: literally a 'Ford (crossing), ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the ...
of the present age, ''avasarpini'' (half time cycle) according to
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 being ...
. Ajitnatha was born in the town of Saketa to King Jitashatru and Queen Vijaya at
Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhy ...
in the
Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty i ...
on ''magha-shukla-dashmi'' (the tenth day of the bright half of the month of '' Magha''). His height was 450 '' dhanusha''. He lived for a span of 72
lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ...
''purva''. He attained ''kevala jnana'' under the sal tree and ''
Moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologica ...
'' on ''chaitra-shukla-panchmi'' (fifth day of the bright half of the month of ''
Chaitra Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...
'') from
Shikharji Shri Sammet Shikharji () is a pilgrimage site in Giridih district, Jharkhand, India. It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. It is the most important Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) by both Digambara an ...
. Simhasena was his chief ''
Ganadhara In Jainism, the term Ganadhara is used to refer the chief disciple of a ''Tirthankara''. In ''samavasarana'', the ''Tīrthankara'' sat on a throne without touching it (about two inches above it). Around, the ''Tīrthankara'' sits the ''Ganad ...
''.


Literature

The
Yajurveda The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
mentions the name of Ajitanatha, but the meaning is not clear. According to Jain traditions, his younger brother was Sagara. Sagara, who became the second
Chakravartin A ''chakravarti'' ( sa, चक्रवर्तिन्, ''cakravartin''; pi, cakkavatti; zh, 轉輪王, ''Zhuǎnlúnwáng'', "Wheel-Turning King"; , ''Zhuǎnlún Shèngwáng'', "Wheel-Turning Sacred King"; ja, 転輪王, ''Tenrin'ō'' ...
, is known from the traditions of both Hindu and Jain scriptures.


Adoration

Ajinatha is associated with his Elephant emblem, Saptha-parna tree, Mahayaksha
Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...
and Yogini & Ajithabala
Yakshi ''Yakshinis'' or ''yakshis'' (यक्षिणी sa, yakṣiṇī or ''yakṣī''; pi, yakkhiṇī or ''yakkhī'') are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from devas a ...
s.


Literature

* The Ajitha purana, by Ranna narrates the story of Ajitanatha. * ''Ajitasanti'' compiled by Nandisena in 7th century is a praise to Ajitnatha and
Shantinatha Shantinatha was the sixteenth Jain tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). Shantinatha was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aiira at Hastinapur in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the ...
.


Famous temples

* Taranga Jain Temple, Vasai Jain Temple in
Bhadresar Bhadresar or Bhadreshwar is a village in Mundra Taluka, Kutch district of Gujarat, India. It is about 27 km from Taluka headquarters Mundra and barely a kilometer away from the seashore. History Bhadreshwar is the site of the ancient cit ...
,
Bandhaji Bandhaji is a historic Jain tirtha about 35 km from Tikamgarh. History The 900 year old black colored idol of principal deity Bhagwan Ajitnatha is installed in a basement of Shri Bandhaji Atishaya Kshetra. According to historical and arc ...
*
Chaturmukha Basadi, Gerusoppa Chaturmukha Basadi is a symmetrical Jain temple located in Gerusoppa in Honnavar Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The temple is situated near the banks of the Sharavati. History The territory of Gerus ...
File:Kutch Bhadreshwar Jain Temple.jpg, Vasai Jain Temple File:Tarangaji Jain temple.jpg, Tarangaji,
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
(1121 AD) constructed by King Kumarapala File:Chaturmukha basadi, Gerusoppa (cropped).jpg,
Chaturmukha Basadi, Gerusoppa Chaturmukha Basadi is a symmetrical Jain temple located in Gerusoppa in Honnavar Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The temple is situated near the banks of the Sharavati. History The territory of Gerus ...


See also

*
Arihant (Jainism) ''Arihant'' ( pka, arihant, italic=yes, sa, अरिहन्त, lit=conqueror) is a jiva (soul) who has conquered inner passions such as attachment, anger, pride and greed. Having destroyed four inimical karmas, they realize pure self. ...
*
Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty i ...
* Ajitha purana


References


Citations


Sources

* * * *


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ajitnath Tirthankaras Solar dynasty People from Faizabad Ancient Indian people