| Type: | Jain |
| Deity Of: | Tīrthaṅkara |
| Other Names: | Helds being saint (Sanyam ni sima ne dharan karnar) |
| Symbol: | Bull |
| Color: | Gold |
| Spouse: | Rukamani |
| Father: | Shreyans |
| Mother: | Satyaki |
| Height: | 500 Dhanush |
| Age: | 84 lac purv |
| Predecessor: | himself 1st |
| Successor: | Yugmandhar |
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 resides at Mahavideh Kshetra, another land within the Jain cosmological universe (see Jain cosmology).[2]
The five lands of the Bharat Kshetra are currently in the fifth Ara (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not take birth).[3] 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.[4]
On Mahavideh Kshetra, the fourth Ara (a spiritually elevated time-cycle) exists continuously. There, Tirthankaras perpetually are born.[5] [3] 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.[6]
Simandhar is a living Tirthankara, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain cosmological universe.[7] 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.[8] He lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of 32 geographical divisions on Mahavideh Kshetra.[9] 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.[10] Simandhar was born with three complete aspects of jnana, or self-knowledge:
As a young adult, he married Rukamani and then, later in life, took diksha, renunciation from worldly life.[10]
Simandhar's height is 500 dhanushya, approximately 1,500 feet, which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra.
Simandhara is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a bull beneath him. Every Tīrthankara has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the Tirthankaras.