Panch Kalyanaka (Sanskrit: pan̄ca kalyāṇaka, "Five Auspicious Events") are the five chief auspicious events that occur in the life of tirthankara in Jainism.[1] [2] [3] They are commemorated as part of many Jain rituals and festivals.[4]
These auspicious life events are as below:[3] [4] [5] [6]
These dates are called Kalyanaka Tithi.All dates are considered according to Jain calendar known as Jain Panchang based on the Vira Nirvana Samvat, but they differ according to different sects of Jain tradition and sometimes different within the same tradition also.[14] [15] [16] [17]
The following table states the Kalyanaka Tithis according to the Digambar Jain tradition from the Vira Nirvana Samvat Calendar.
| No. | Garbha Kalyanaka | Janma Kalyanaka | Tapa Kalyanaka | Jnana Kalyanaka | Nirvana Kalyanaka | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashadha Krishna 2 | Chaitra Krishna 9 | Chaitra Krishna 9 | Falguna Krishna 11 | Magha Krishna 14 | ||
| 2 | Jyeshtha Krishna 15 | Magha Shukla 10 | Magha Shukla 10 | Pausha Shukla 11 | Chaitra Shukla 5 | ||
| 3 | Falguna Shukla 8 | Kartika Shukla 15 | Margashirsha Shukla 15 | Kartika Krishna 4 | Chaitra Shukla 6 | ||
| 4 | Vaishakha Shukla 6 | Magha Shukla 12 | Magha Shukla 12 | Pausha Shukla 14 | Vaishakha Shukla 6 | ||
| 5 | Shravana Shukla 2 | Chaitra Shukla 11 | Vaishakha Shukla 9 | Chaitra Shukla 11 | Chaitra Shukla 11 | ||
| 6 | Magha Krishna 6 | Kartika Krishna 13 | Kartika Krishna 13 | Chaitra Shukla 15 | Falguna Krishna 4 | ||
| 7 | Bhadrapada Shukla 6 | Jyeshtha Shukla 12 | Jyeshtha Krishna 12 | Falguna Krishna 6 | Falguna Krishna 7 | ||
| 8 | Chaitra Krishna 5 | Pausha Krishna 11 | Pausha Krishna 11 | Falguna Krishna 7 | Falguna Krishna 7 | ||
| 9 | Falguna Krishna 9 | Margashirsha Krishna 1 | Margashirsha Shukla 1 | Kartika Shukla 2 | Bhadrapada Shukla 8 | ||
| 10 | Chaitra Krishna 8 | Magha Krishna 12 | Magha Krishna 12 | Pausha Krishna 14 | Ashvina Shukla 8 | ||
| 11 | Jyeshtha Krishna 6 | Falguna Krishna 11 | Falguna Krishna 11 | Magha Krishna 15 | Shravana Shukla 15 | ||
| 12 | Ashadha Krishna 6 | Falguna Krishna 14 | Falguna Krishna 14 | Magha Shukla 2 | Bhadrapada Shukla 14 | ||
| 13 | Jyeshtha Krishna 10 | Magha Shukla 4 | Magha Shukla 4 | Magha Shukla 6 | Ashadha Krishna 8 | ||
| 14 | Kartika Krishna 1 | Jyeshtha Krishna 12 | Jyeshtha Krishna 12 | Chaitra Krishna 15 | Chaitra Krishna 15 | ||
| 15 | Vaishakha Krishna 14 | Magha Shukla 13 | Magha Shukla 13 | Pausha Shukla 15 | Jyeshtha Shukla 4 | ||
| 16 | Bhadrapada Krishna 7 | Jyeshtha Krishna 14 | Jyeshtha Krishna 14 | Pausha Shukla 10 | Jyeshtha Krishna 14 | ||
| 17 | Shravana Shukla 10 | Vaishakha Shukla 1 | Vaishakha Shukla 1 | Chaitra Shukla 3 | Vaishakha Shukla 1 | ||
| 18 | Falguna Shukla 3 | Margashirsha Shukla 14 | Margashirsha Shukla 10 | Kartika Shukla 12 | Chaitra Krishna 15 | ||
| 19 | Chaitra Shukla 1 | Margashirsha Shukla 11 | Margashirsha Shukla 11 | Pausha Krishna 2 | Falguna Shukla 5 | ||
| 20 | Shravana Krishna 2 | Vaishakha Krishna 10 | Vaishakha Krishna 10 | Vaishakha Krishna 9 | Falguna Krishna 12 | ||
| 21 | Ashvina Krishna 2 | Ashadha Krishna 10 | Ashadha Krishna 10 | Margashirsha Shukla 11 | Vaishakha Krishna 14 | ||
| 22 | Kartika Shukla 6 | Shravana Shukla 6 | Shravana Shukla 6 | Ashvina Shukla 1 | Ashadha Shukla 7 | ||
| 23 | Vaishakha Krishna 2 | Pausha Krishna 11 | Pausha Krishna 11 | Chaitra Krishna 4 | Shravana Shukla 7 | ||
| 24 | Ashadha Shukla 6 | Chaitra Shukla 13 | Margashirsha Krishna 10 | Vaishakha Shukla 10 | Kartika Krishna 15 |
Note: This list is according to Śvētāmbara tradition and months are according to the Gujarati calendar.
| No. | Garbh Kalyanaka | Janma Kalyanaka | Diksha Kalyanaka | Kevala Jnana Kalyanaka | Nirvana Kalyanaka | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeth Vad 4 | Fagan Vad 8 | Fagan Vad 8 | Maha Vad 11 | Posh Vad 13 | ||
| 2 | Vaisakh Sud 13 | Maha Sud 8 | Maha Sud 9 | Posh Sud 11 | Chaitra Sud 5 | ||
| 3 | Fagan Sud 8 | Magsar Sud 14 | Magasar Sud 15 | Asho Vad 5 | Chaitra Sud 5 | ||
| 4 | Vaisakh Sud 4 | Maha Sud 2 | Maha Sud 12 | Posh Sud 14 | Vaisakh Sud 8 | ||
| 5 | Shravan Sud 2 | Vaisakh Sud 8 | Vaisakh Sud 9 | Chaitra Sud 11 | Chaitra Sud 9 | ||
| 6 | Posh Vad 6 | Asho Vad 12 | Asho Vad 13 | Chaitra Sud 11 | Chaitra Sud 9 | ||
| 7 | Shravan Vad 8 | Jeth Sud 12 | Jeth Sud 13 | Maha Vad 6 | Maha Vad 7 | ||
| 8 | Fagan Vad 5 | Magasar Vad 12 | Magasar Vad 13 | Maha Vad 7 | Shravan Vad 7 | ||
| 9 | Maha Vad 9 | Kartak Vad 5 | Kartak Vad 6 | Kartak Sud 3 | Bhadarva Sud 9 | ||
| 10 | Chaitra Vad 6 | Posh Vad 12 | Posh Vad 13 | Magasar Vad 14 | Chaitra Vad 2 | ||
| 11 | Vaisakh Vad 6 | Maha Vad 12 | Maha Vad 13 | Posh Vad Amaas | Ashadh Vad 3 | ||
| 12 | Jeth Sud 9 | Maha Vad 14 | Maha Vad Amaas | Maha Sud 2 | Asadh Sud 14 | ||
| 13 | Vaisakh Sud 12 | Maha Sud 3 | Maha Sud 4 | Posh Sud 6 | Jeth Vad 7 | ||
| 14 | Asadh Vad 7 | Chaitra Vad 13 | Chaitra Vad 14 | Chaitra Vad 14 | Chaitra Sud 5 | ||
| 15 | Vaisakh Sud 7 | Maha Sud 3 | Maha Sud 12 | Posh sud 15 | Jeth Sud 5 | ||
| 16 | Shravan Vad 7 | Vaishakh Vad 13 | Vaiskh Vad 14 | Posh Sud 9 | Vaisakh Vad 13 | ||
| 17 | Asadh Vad 9 | Chaitra Vad 14 | Chaitra Vad 5 | Chaitra Vad 5 | Chaitra Vad 1 | ||
| 18 | Fagan Sud 2 | Magsar Sud 10 | Magsar Sud 11 | Kartik Sud 12 | Magsar Sud 10 | ||
| 19 | Fagan Sud 4 | Magsar Sud 11 | Magsar Sud 11 | Magsar Sud 11 | Fagan Sud 12 | ||
| 20 | Shravan Sud 15 | Vaisakh Vad 8 | Fagan Sud 12 | Shravan Vad 12 | Vaisakh Vad 9 | ||
| 21 | Asho Sud 15 | Ashadh Vad 8 | Jeth Vad 9 | Magsar Sud 11 | Chaitra Vad 10 | ||
| 22 | Asho Vad 12 | Shravan Sud 5 | Shravan Sud 6 | Bhadarva Vad Amaas | Ashadh Sud 8 | ||
| 23 | Fagan Vad 4 | Magsar Vad 10 | Magsar Vad 11 | Fagan Vad 4 | Shravan Sud 7 | ||
| 24 | Asadh Sud 6 | Chaitra Sud 13 | Kartak Vad 10 | Vaisakh Sud 10 | Asho Vad Amaas |
Kalyanaka Bhumi are places where any of these Kalyanaka took place in relation to 24 Tirthankara. They are considered places of pilgrimage by Jains.[5] 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras' Nirvana kalyanaka took place at Shikharji.[13]
They are as below:[13] [18] [19]
| No. | Chyavan Kalyanaka | Janma Kalyanaka | Diksha Kalyanaka | Keval Gyan Kalyanaka | Nirvan Kalyanaka | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purimtal (now Prayag or Allahabad) | Ashtapad | |||||
| 2 | Shikharji | ||||||
| 3 | Shravasti | ||||||
| 4 | Ayodhya | ||||||
| 5 | Sumatinath | ||||||
| 6 | Kausambi | ||||||
| 7 | Bhadaini, Varanasi | ||||||
| 8 | Chandrapuri | ||||||
| 9 | Kakandi (now Khukhundu, Deoria district) | ||||||
| 10 | Bhadilpur or Bhadrikapuri | ||||||
| 11 | Sinhpuri, Varanasi | ||||||
| 12 | Champapuri (now Bhagalpur)[20] | ||||||
| 13 | Shikharji | ||||||
| 14 | Ayodhya | ||||||
| 15 | Ratnapuri | ||||||
| 16 | Hastinapur | ||||||
| 17 | Kunthunath | ||||||
| 18 | Aranath | ||||||
| 19 | Mithila | ||||||
| 20 | Rajgruhi | ||||||
| 21 | Mithila | ||||||
| 22 | Girnar | ||||||
| 23 | Shikharji | ||||||
| 24 | Rijuvalika | Pavapuri | |||||
Some Jain rituals have close relationship with these five Kalyanakas. Panch Kalyanaka Puja is a ritual solemnizes all five Kalyanaka. It was narrated by Pandit Virvijay. Snatra Puja is a ritual related to Janma Kalyanaka in which icons of Tirthankara are bathed symbolising Indra doing Abhisheka on Tirthankara on Mount Meru after birth of Tirthankara. It performed before many other rituals and before starting of new enterprises, birthdays.[9]
When a new Jain Temple is erected, these Five Auspicious Life Events are celebrated known as Panch Kalyanaka Pratishtha Mahotsava. It is followed by Anjana Shalaka, a ceremony to install new Tirthankara icon. An Acharya recite mantras related to Panch Kalyanaka followed by applying special paste to eyes of Tirthankara image. After these an icons of Tirthankara gets a status of real Tirthankara which can be worshipped by Jains. Acharya have to fast for three days before that.[21]
Many Jain festivals mark Kalyanaka of Tirthankara especially Janma and Nirvana Kalyanaka.
Mahavir Janma Kalyanak marks Janma Kalyanak (birth) of 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira. Abhisheka of icons are done on this day and procession celebrating this event takes place in the cities. It is on 13th day of bright half of Chaitra month of Jain calendar (March/April).[9]
Diwali is a day of Nirvana Kalyanaka of Mahavira. He attained Moksha on this day in 527 BCE. It falls on fifteenth day of dark half of Ashwin (Aaso) month (September/October) which is also a last day of a year.[9]
Pausha Dashmi is celebrated on 10th day of dark half of Pausha (Pushya) month of Hindu calendar(December/January). It marks Janma kalyanaka (birth) of 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanath. Three days fast is observed by many Jains.
Maun Agiyaras or Ekadashi marks Kalyanaka of many Tirthankaras. It is celebrated on 11th day of Magshar month of Jain calendar (October/November). On this day, complete silence is observed and fasting is kept. Meditation is also performed.[9]