// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Shitalanatha say to his friend? "You're a shrine example.
| Shitalanatha | |
|---|---|
10th Jain Tirthankara | |
 Shri Shitalanatha bhagwan at Badridas Jain temple, Kolkata | |
| Venerated in | Jainism |
| Predecessor | Pushpadanta |
| Successor | Shreyansanatha |
| Symbol | Kalpavriksha (Wishing Tree) As per Digambar. Srivatsa as per Shwetambar |
| Height | 90 bows (270 meters) |
| Age | 100,000 purva (7.056 Quintillion years) |
| Color | Golden |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Parents |
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| Dynasty | Ikṣvākuvaṁśa |
| Part of a series on |
| Jainism |
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Shitalanatha was the tenth tirthankara of the present age according to Jainism. According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Jains believe Shitalanatha was born to King Dradhrath and Queen Nanda at Bhaddilpur into the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date was the twelfth day of the Magha Krishna month of the Indian national calendar. Shitalanatha is associated with Svastika (Dig.)/ Srivatasa (Svet.) emblem, Pilurikha tree, Brahma Yaksha and Manavi (Dig.) & Ashoka (Svet.) Yakshi.
Life and legends
[edit]According to Jain tradition, Shitalanatha is venerated as the 10th tirthankara of the present cosmic age (avasarpini).[1][2] Jain universal history states that he was born into the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty to King Dradhratha and Queen Nanda in the city of Bhaddilpur.[3][2] His birth is traditionally observed on the twelfth day of the Magha Krishna month of the Jain calendar.[2] Within the expansive framework of Jain cosmology, texts attribute to him a symbolic lifespan of 100,000 purvas and a towering physical height of 90 bows (dhanushas).[4][5] After a period of ruling his kingdom, traditional narratives describe him renouncing worldly attachments to become an ascetic, eventually attaining omniscience (Kevala Jnana).[3] Following a long period of preaching, he ultimately achieved liberation from the cycle of rebirth (moksha) on the sacred peaks of Mount Shikharji in modern-day Jharkhand.[6]
Shitalanatha is said to have been born 9 crore sagara after his predecessor, Pushpadanta.[5] His successor, Shreyansanatha, is said to have been born 9,999,900 sagara after him.[5]
Iconography
[edit]In Jain art and sculpture, Shitalanatha is traditionally depicted in a meditative posture and is distinctly identified by his golden physical complexion.[7] His specific iconographic emblem varies significantly between sectarian traditions; the Digambara sect associates him with the wishing tree (Kalpavriksha) or Swastika, while the Śvētāmbara tradition identifies his symbol as the Srivatsa mark.[8] As with all tirthankaras, he is depicted alongside his dedicated guardian deities (Shashan-devatas). According to both traditions, his accompanying male guardian deity (yaksha) is Brahma.[9] However, sectarian texts differ regarding his female guardian (yakshi), with the Digambara sect identifying her as Manavi and the Śvētāmbara sect identifying her as Ashoka.[9][10]
Temples and legacy
[edit]As the 10th tirthankara, Shitalanatha is actively venerated across the Indian subcontinent.[1] One of the most prominent modern architectural monuments dedicated to his worship is the Calcutta Jain Temple (also known as the Badridas Temple) in Kolkata, West Bengal.[11] Constructed in 1867 by the influential merchant Seth Badridas, this spectacularly ornate temple complex serves as a major spiritual and cultural hub for the regional Śvētāmbara community and features Shitalanatha as its primary enshrined deity (moolnayak).[11] Furthermore, marking the geographic site of his ultimate spiritual liberation, a dedicated shrine (tonk) enshrining his footprints (charan) remains a major pan-Indian pilgrimage destination on the peaks of Mount Shikharji.[6]
Kallu Basadi, Moodbidri
Shitalanatha Temple, Kolkata
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- 1 2 Dundas 2002, p. 40.
- 1 2 3 Tukol 1980, p. 31.
- 1 2 Natubhai Shah 2004, p. 16.
- ↑ Wiley 2009, p. 240.
- 1 2 3 Finegan 1952, p. 190.
- 1 2 Cort 2001a, p. 23.
- ↑ Titze & Bruhn 1998, p. 250.
- ↑ Umakant P. Shah 1987, p. 144.
- 1 2 Umakant P. Shah 1987, pp. 144–145.
- ↑ Tandon 2002, p. 44.
- 1 2 Tandon 2002, p. 45.
Sources
[edit]- Cort, John E. (2001a), Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-513234-2
- Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-26605-X
- Finegan, Jack (1952), The archeology of world religions, Princeton University Press
- Shah, Natubhai (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1938-1
- Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: Jaina iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 81-7017-208-X
- Tandon, Om Prakash (2002) [1968], Jaina Shrines in India (1 ed.), New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, ISBN 81-230-1013-3
- Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998), Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6
- Tukol, T. K. (1980), Compendium of Jainism, Dharwad: University of Karnataka
- Wiley, Kristi L. (2009) [1949], The A to Z of Jainism, vol. 38, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0-8108-6337-8
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