Munisuvrata Swami

Munisuvrata () was the twentieth ''tirthankara'' of the present half time cycle (''avasarpini'') in Jain cosmology. He became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of his karma. Events of the Jaina version of Ramayana are placed at the time of Munisuvrata. Munisuvrata lived for over 30,000 years. His chief apostle ('' gaṇadhara'') was sage ''Malli Svāmi''.

Legends

Munisuvrata was the twentieth ''tirthankara'' of the present half time cycle (''avasarpini'') in Jain cosmology. Jain texts like ''padmapurana'' place him as a contemporary of Rama. According to Jain texts, Munisuvrata was born as 54 lakh years passed after the birth of the nineteenth ''tirthankara'', ''Mallinātha''. According to Jain beliefs, Munisuvrata descended from the heaven called ''Ānata kalpa'' on the twelfth day of the bright half of the month of ''Āśvina – āśvina śukla dvādaśi''– to queen Padmavati and king Sumitra. On the third day of ''Shraavana'' (month) ''Krishna'' (dark fortnight) according to Hindu calendar, queen Padmavati of Rajgir saw sixteen auspicious dreams. When she shared her dreams with her husband, king Sumitra of the Harivamsa clan, he explained that a ''tirthankara'' will be born to them soon. Then, Munisuvrata was born to them on the fifteenth day of the ''Shraavana Shukla'' (bright fortnight) in 1,184,980 BC. His height is mentioned to be 20 bows (60 metres) and complexion as a dark one.

According to Jain texts, after spending 7,500 years as a youth, Munisuvrata is believed to have ruled his kingdom for 15,000 years (''rājyakāla''). He then renounced all worldly pursuits and became a monk. According to Jain beliefs, he spent 11 months performing karma-destroying austerities and then attained the all-embracing knowledge – Omniscience ('' kevala jñāna'') under a Champaka tree. He is said to have 18 ''ganadharas'' headed by Malli. Puspavati or Puspadatta is believed to be the head-nun of his order. ''Samayavayanga sutra'', however, names Kumbha and Amila as the head ''ganadhara'' and head nun respectively.

Munisuvrata is said to have lived for over 30,000 years and attained liberation ('' nirvāña'') from Sammeda śikhara on the twelfth day of the dark half of the month of ''phālguna – phālguna kṛṣna dvādaśi''. Varuna is mentioned to be his ''yaksha'' and his yakhsini is named Bahurupini in ''Digambara'' tradition and Naradatta in '' Svetambara'' tradition.

Munisuvrata finds mentions in Jain texts like '' Uttarapurana'' and '' Tiloyapannati''.

Adoration

''Svayambhustotra'' by ''Acharya Samantabhadra'' is the adoration of twenty-four tirthankaras. Its five slokas (aphorisms) adore the qualities of Munisuvrata.

An idol of Munisuvrata was installed in 127 AD or 157 AD in the ''Devanirmita stupa'', Mathura.

Iconography

Munisuvrata is usually depicted in a sitting (or standing) meditative pose, with a tortoise symbol beneath him; each ''tīrthankara'' has a distinct emblem, which allows worshippers to distinguish similar idols. Jivantasvami represents Munisuvrata as a princely state. The Jina is represented as standing in the kayotsarga pose wearing crown and ornaments.

Colossal statues

# Statue of Purity is a statue dedicated to Munisuvrata under construction in Bhora Kalan, Haryana.
# A black stone statue of Munisuvrata was installed in Jainaragutti near Adagur in the state of Karnataka.
# A idolf of Munisuvrata is installed near the Shantinath Jain Teerth, Maharashtra.

File:Suvrtrath Statue India.jpg, State Museum Bhopal, 6th century
File:Shri 1008 muni svratnath bhagwan.jpeg, Image of Munisuvratanatha (Jahazpur district, Bhilwara)
File:Lord Munisuvrat hasteda.jpg, 12th Century (1153 AD), hasteda, Rajasthan
File:National Museum - Munisuvrata.jpg, Munisuvrata, 1466 CE, Western India, National Museum, New Delhi

Main Temples

* Chaturmukha Basadi is a famous Jain temple located at Karkala in the Indian state of Karnataka. The temple is dedicated to ''Tirthankara Aranatha'', ''Māllīnātha'' and Munisuvrata.
* Shri Munisuvrata-Nemi-Parshva Jinalaya located at Santhu, Rajasthan
* Paithan Jain Tirth
* Keshoraipatan Jain temple

File:Chaturmukha Basadi.jpg, Chaturmukha Basadi
File:Sri_Munisuvrat-Nemi-Parsva_Jinalaya,_Santhu.JPG, Shri Munisuvrata-Nemi-Parshva Jinalaya at Santhu
File:Naulakha Mandir.jpg, Naulakha Mandir, Rajgir
File:MANDIR NEW PIC(13983).jpg, Hasteda, Jain temple

See also

*God in Jainism
*Arihant (Jainism)
*Jainism and non-creationism

References

Citations

Sources

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{{Authority control

Tirthankaras
Jain saints
Jainism in Mithila