Munisuvrata Explained

Type:Jain
Venerated In:Jainism
Symbol:Tortoise
Color:Black
Father:Sumitra
Mother:Padmāvatī
Age:30,000
Predecessor:Mallinatha
Successor:Naminatha
Birth Place:Rajgir
Moksha Place:Sammed Shikhar
Munisuvrata
Gender:Male
God Of:20th Tirthankara
Member Of:Tirthankara, Shalakapurusha, Arihant and Siddha
Dynasty:Hari clan

Munisuvrata or Munisuvratanatha (IAST:) (Devanagari: मुनिसुव्रतनाथ) (Sanskrit: मुनिसुव्रतः) 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 Śvetāmbara 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

  1. Statue of Purity is a 151feet statue dedicated to Munisuvrata under construction in Bhora Kalan, Haryana.[1]
  2. A 54feet black stone statue of Munisuvrata was installed in Jainaragutti near Adagur in the state of Karnataka.[2]
  3. A 27feet idolf of Munisuvrata is installed near the Shantinath Jain Teerth, Maharashtra.

Main Temples

See also

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: हरियाणा में बनेगी मुनिसुव्रत भगवान की 151 फीट ऊंची अष्टधातु की प्रतिमा . . 30 December 2020 . hi.
  2. News: A new Jain pilgrim centre . 19 June 2022 . The Hindu.