Simandhara
| Simandhara | |
|---|---|
 Shri Simandhar Swami | |
| Symbol | Bull |
| Color | White |
| Personal information | |
| Parents |
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| Spouse | Mata Rukmani |
| Part of a series on |
| Jainism |
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Simandhara is a Tīrthaṅkara, an arihant, who is said to be currently living in another world in the Jain cosmological universe.
Residence in Jain cosmology[]
Tirthankara Simandhar Swami resides at Mahavideh Kshetra, another land within the Jain cosmological universe (see Jain cosmology).[1][2][3]
The five lands of the Bharat Kshetra are currently in the 5th Ara (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not take birth).[4][5] The most recent Tirthankara present on Bharat Kshetra (present world) was Vardhamana Mahavira, whom historians estimate lived between 599-527 BCE, the last in a cycle of 24 Tirthankaras.[6][7]
On Mahavideh Kshetra, the 4th Ara (a spiritually elevated time-cycle) exists continuously. There, Tirthankaras perpetually are born.[8][4] There are 5 Mahavideh Kshetras, each being a separate land. At present, there are 4 Tirthankars residing in each Mahavideh Kshetra. Thus there are a total of 20 Tirthankaras residing there, Simandhar Swami being one among them.[2][9]
Biography per Jain tradition[]
Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankar, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain mythological universe.[10][11] The Arihant Simandhar Swami is believed to be currently 150,000 earth years old (equivalent to 49 years at Mahavideh Kshetra), and has a remaining lifespan of 125,000 earth years.[12][13] He lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of 32 geographical divisions on Mahavideh Kshetra.[2][14][15] Pundarikgiri is ruled by King Shreyans, who is Simandhar Swami's father. His mother is Queen Satyaki. While pregnant with Simandhar Swami, Queen Satyaki had a sequence of auspicious dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankara.[16][17] Simandhar Swami was born with three complete aspects of Gnan, Self-knowledge:
- Mati Gnan (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of the 5-sense realm
- Shruta Gnan (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of all forms of communication
- Avadhi Gnan (see Jain epistemology), clairvoyant knowledge[18]
As a young adult, he married Rukamani Devi and then, later in life, took diksha, renunciation from worldly life.[16]
Simandhar Swami's height is 500 dhanushya, approximately 1,500 feet, which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra.[2]
Worship[]
Iconography[]
Simandhara is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a bull beneath him.[19] Every Tīrthankara has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the Tirthankaras.[20][21][22]
Simandhara in Digambar Jain temple, Ujjain
Idol of Simandhar Swami at Trimandir, Vadodara
Main temples[]
- Trimandir, Adalaj
See also[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simandhar Swami. |
Notes[]
- ^ Natubhai Shah 2004.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d University, Jain, Mahavideh Kshetra (PDF), Jain University, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2012
- ^ Darshan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra" (PDF). Jain Darshan.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Jainism, My. "Kaal Chakra" (PDF). My Jainism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2013.
- ^ Jaini 1998, pp. 30–32.
- ^ "Jain Meditation". Archived from the original on 27 April 2012.
- ^ Jaini 1998, pp. 1–41.
- ^ Tirthankaras, Jain. "24 Tirthankaras". Jain Tirthankaras.
- ^ Atmadharma.com. "Adhyatma Pravachanratnatray" (PDF). Atmadharma.com.
- ^ Pravin K Shah, pp. 1–3.
- ^ Umich. "Arihants". Umich.edu.
- ^ http://www.trimandir.org/lord-simandhar-swami/about-simandhar-swami/
- ^ Gnani Purush Dadashri 2005, p. 24.
- ^ Gyan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra". Jain Gyan. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ Gnani Purush Dadashri 2005, p. 15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b World, Jain. "Simandhar Swami". Jain World. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Dalal, Deepika, Arihant Simandhar Swami (PDF), JAINA, p. 3
- ^ Jaini 1998, p. 3.
- ^ Shah 1987, p. 101.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ Krishna 2014, p. 34.
- ^ Zimmer 1953, p. 225.
References[]
- Bhagwan, Dada (2005), Shree Simandhar Swami, Ahmedabad: Mahavideh Foundation
- Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-26605-X
- Humphrey and Laidlaw (1994). The archetypal actions of ritual: a theory of ritual illustrated by the Jain rite of worship. Indiana University: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0198279477.
- Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
- King; Brockington (2005), Intimate Other, The Love Divine in Indic Religions, Orient Blackswan, ISBN 978-81-250-2801-7
- (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1938-1
- Shah, Pravin K (2002), Jain Philosophy and Practice 1 (PDF), JAINA Education Committee, ISBN 8185568014
- Dadashri, Gnani Purush, The Current Living Tirthankara Shree Simandhar Swami (PDF), Dada Bhagwan Aradhana Trust
- Zimmer, Heinrich (1953) [April 1952], Campbell, Joseph (ed.), Philosophies Of India, London, E.C. 4: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6CS1 maint: location (link)
- Britannica Tirthankar Definition, Encyclopædia Britannica
- Krishna, Nanditha (2014), Sacred Animals of India, Penguin UK, ISBN 9788184751826
- Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: (Jaina iconography), 1, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 9788170172086
- Tirthankaras