Simandhar or Simandhara[1] is a Tīrthaṅkara, an arihant, who is said to be currently living in another world in the Jain cosmological universe.
| Simandhar | |
|---|---|
 Idol of Simandhar at Shri Bibrod Adinath Jain Shwetamber Tirth, Bibdod, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, India | |
| Other names | Helds being saint (Sanyam ni sima ne dharan karnar) |
| Predecessor | himself 1st |
| Successor | Yugmandhar |
| Symbol | Bull |
| Height | 500 Dhanush |
| Age | 84 lac purv |
| Color | Gold |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
| Spouse | Rukamani |
Residence in Jain cosmology
editSimandhar resides at Mahavideh Kshetra, another land within the Jain cosmological universe (see Jain cosmology).[2][3][4]
The five lands of the Bharat Kshetra are currently in the fifth Ara (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not take birth).[5][6] The most recent Tirthankara present on Bharata Kshetra (present world) was Vardhamana Mahavira, whom historians estimate lived between 599 and 527 BCE, the last in a cycle of 24 Tirthankaras.[7][8]
On Mahavideh Kshetra, the fourth Ara (a spiritually elevated time-cycle) exists continuously. There, Tirthankaras perpetually are born.[9][5] There are 5 Mahavideh Kshetras, each being a separate land. At present, there are 4 Tirthankaras residing in each Mahavideh Kshetra. Thus there are a total of 20 Tirthankaras residing there, Simandhar being one among them.[3][10]
Biography per Jain tradition
editSimandhar is a living Tirthankara, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain cosmological universe.[11][12] The Arihant Simandhar 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.[13][14] He lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of 32 geographical divisions on Mahavideh Kshetra.[3][15][16] Pundarikgiri is ruled by King Shreyans, who is Simandhar's father. His mother is Satyaki. While pregnant with Simandhar, Satyaki had a sequence of auspicious dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankara.[17][18] Simandhar was born with three complete aspects of jnana, or self-knowledge:
- Mati Jnana (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of the 5-sense realm
- Shruta Jnana (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of all forms of communication
- Avadhi Jnana (see Jain epistemology), clairvoyant knowledge[19]
As a young adult, he married Rukamani and then, later in life, took diksha, renunciation from worldly life.[17]
Simandhar's height is 500 dhanushya, approximately 1,500 feet, which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra.[3]
Worship
editIconography
editSimandhara is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a bull beneath him.[20] Every Tīrthankara has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the Tirthankaras.[21][22][23]
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Idol of Simandhar at Shri Bibrod Adinath Jain Shwetamber Tirth, Bibdod, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, India
-
Simandhara in Digambar Jain temple, Ujjain
-
Simandhar Swamiat Simandhar Jain Temple, Mehsana
Main temples
editSee also
editNotes
edit- ^ Cort, John (21 January 2010). Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History. Oxford University Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-19-045257-5.
- ^ Natubhai Shah 2004.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Trimandir - Simandhar Swami | Lord Simandhar Swami | trimandir.org". www.trimandir.org. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ Dadashri 2005, p. 24.
- ^ Gyan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra". Jain Gyan. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ Dadashri 2005, p. 15.
- ^ a b "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
edit- Bhagwan, Dada (2005), Shree Simandhar Swami, Ahmedabad: Mahavideh Foundation, ISBN 978-81-89725-19-8
- 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
- Shah, Natubhai (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. 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 (2005), The Current Living Tirthankara Shree Simandhar Swami (PDF), Dada Bhagwan Aradhana Trust
- Zimmer, Heinrich (1953) [April 1952], Campbell, Joseph (ed.), Philosophies Of India, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6
- 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), vol. 1, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 9788170172086