Type: | Jain |
Venerated In: | Jainism |
Symbol: | Kalasha |
Color: | Blue |
Father: | Kumbha |
Mother: | Prajnavati |
Height: | 25 dhanusha (75 meters) |
Age: | 56,000 |
Predecessor: | Aranatha |
Successor: | Munisuvrata |
Birth Place: | Mithila |
Gender: | Male (Digambara tradition)Female (Shvetambara tradition) |
God Of: | 19th Tirthankara |
Mallinatha | |
Member Of: | Tirthankara, Shalakapurusha, Arihant and Siddha |
Moksha Place: | Sammed Shikhar |
Dynasty: | Ikshvaku dynasty |
Mallinatha (Prakrit Mallinātha, "Lord of jasmine or seat") (Devanagari: मल्लिनाथ) (Sanskrit: मल्लिनाथः) was the 19th tīrthaṅkara "ford-maker" of the present avasarpiṇī age in Jainism.
Jain texts indicate Mālliṇātha was born at Mithila into the Ikshvaku dynasty to King Kumbha and Queen Prajnavati. Tīrthaṅkara Māllīnātha lived for over 56,000 years, out of which 54,800 years less six days, was with omniscience (Kevala Jnana).
Mallinatha is believed to be a woman named Malli Devi by Shvetambara Jains while the Digambara sect believes all 24 tirthankara to be men including Māllīnātha. Digambara tradition believes a woman can reach to the 16th heaven and can attain liberation only being reborn as a man. Digambara tradition says Mallinatha was a son born in a royal family, and worships Mallinatha as a male. However, the Shvetambara tradition of Jainism states that Māllīnātha was female with a name Mallivati.
According to Jain beliefs, Mālliṇātha became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.