Neminatha

Neminatha
22nd Jain Tirthankara
16 meter high Neminatha Idol at Tirumalai, Tamil Nadu
Details
Alternate name(s)	Arishtanemi
Predecessor	Naminatha
Successor	Parshvanatha
Royalty
Dynasty/Clan	Harivamsa
Family
Parents	Samudravijaya (father) Shivadevi (mother)
Kalyanaka / Important Events
Chyavana date	Asho Vad 12
Chyavana place	Sauripura (Dvaraka)
Born	Shravan Sud 5 Sauripura (Dvaraka)
Diksha date	Shravan Sud 6
Diksha place	Sauripura (Dvaraka)
Kevalgyan date	Bhadarva Vad Amaas
Kevalgyan place	Girnar
Moksha date	Ashadh Sud 8
Moksha place	Girnar
Characteristics/Attributes
Complexion	Black
Symbol	Shankha
Height	10 bows (30 metres)
Age	1000 years
Kevalakāla
Yaksha	Gomedh
Yakshini	Ambika

Neminatha (Devanagari: नेमिनाथ) was the twenty-second tirthankara (ford-maker) of the present descending cycle (avsarpani). According to Jain beliefs, he lived 84,000 years before the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha. His full name was Aristanemi which is an epithet of the sun-chariot. He was the youngest son of King Samudravijaya and Queen Shivadevi, and the cousin brother of Krishna. He was born at Sauripura (Dvaraka) in the Harivamsa clan. His birth date is the 5th day of Shravana Shukla in the Indian calendar. He became a Siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.

Historicity

Depiction of wedding procession of Lord Neminatha. The enclosure shows the animals are kept in captivity to make sure that they don't disturb the wedding celebration by coming on the way. Later the animals were fed with grass and let go. However Lord Neminath was influenced by Tirthankar Naam Karma and as such Lord Neminatha refused to marry and renounced his kingdom to become a Shramana.

Brooklyn Museum - Page 65 from a manuscript of the Kalpasutra recto Neminatha's initiation verso text

Secular scholars accept the existence of Jainism as far back before BCE, but for Jains the story goes back much further than Parshvanatha. Jain texts mention the names of twenty-one Tirthankaras before him. Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara, was the son of Samudravijaya and grandson of Andhakavrishni. Jains and some Hindus consider Neminatha to be the cousin of Krishna - the son of Samudravijaya, brother of Krishna's father Vasudeva.

The Andhakavrishnis of Dwaraka in the Kathiawar region of present Gujarat state of India, as a republic is referred to in the Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Ashtadhyayi of Pāṇini.

In the Chandogya Upanishads, the sage Ghora Angirasa relates the life of a man to the Soma sacrifice, and the daksina (alms) to austerity, liberality, simplicity, non-violence and truthfulness. In the process, he contributes the first recorded mention of ahimsa in the sense of non-violent behaviour. These values are common to Jainism and some claim Ghora Angirasa as a Jain sadhu instructing Krishna. The word Ghora Angirasa seems to be an epithet given to him because of the extreme austerities he undertook. It may be possible to suggest that Neminatha was his early name and when he had obtained Moksha after hard austerities, he might have been given the name of Ghora Angirasa.

Arittha Nemi Cariu and other works may be corroborated to some extent by the Brahaminical traditions. He is mentioned in some of the hymns of the Vedas but their meaning is doubtful.

There is an inscription about King Nebuchadnezzar (940 BC) on a copper plate discovered in Kathiawar peninsula which describes the king as a follower of and built a temple for the Lord Neminatha.

Tradition

Neminatha was a very handsome but a shy young man. On being taunted by Satyabhama, the wife of Krishna, Neminatha blew Panchajanya, the mighty counch of Krishna. It was believed that no one could lift this "jewel" except Krishna, let alone blow it. After this event, Krishna decided to test Neminatha's strength and challenged him for a (friendly) duel. Neminatha, being a Tirthankara, defeated Krishna (Vasudeva) without any effort.

In the war between Krishna and Jarasandha, Neminatha participated alongside Krishna.

According to both religions, Krishna negotiated his marriage with Rajamati (Rajul), the daughter of Ugrasena, but Neminatha, empathizing with the animals which were to be slaughtered for the marriage feast, left the procession suddenly and renounced the world. Some writers of the Jain scriptures say that Tirthankara Neminatha was the master of Krishna.

Literature

Further information: Harivamsa Purana

The Jain traditions about Neminatha or Arishtanemi is incorporated in the Harivamsa Purana of Acharya Jinasena.

Images

Idols

• 

  Neminatha Idol at Sri Munisuvrat-Nemi-Parsva Jinalaya, Santhu, Jalore, Rajasthan

• 

  Neminatha Idol from Chahaman, 11th century AD, Narhad, Rajasthan currently at National Museum, New Delhi

Temples

• 

  Kulpakji

• 

  Tirumalai hill having colossal statue of Lord Neminatha

• 

  Arahanthgiri Jain Math

• Ancient Jain temple of Neminath, Dharwad, Karnataka
• Ancient Jain temple of Neminath, Bandora, Goa dated 1425 AD

See also

• Nemgiri
• Harivamsa Purana
• God in Jainism
• Arihant (Jainism)
• Girnar

Further reading

• Facets of Jainology by Vilas Adinath Sangave Published 2001 by Popular Prakashan
• Article of Dr.Pran Nath The Times of India 19 March 1935 (said to suggest a link between Nebuchadnezzar I and Neminath)
• Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Published 1947
• World Parliament of Religions Commemoration Volume: Issued in commemoration of the World Parliament of Religions held at Sivanandanagar, Rishikesh, in April, 1953, Published The Yoga-Vedanta Forest University Press, 1956
• Living faiths in modern India, Authors Shashi Ahluwalia, Meenakshi Ahluwalia, Published 1992 by Indian Publishers' Distributors
• Jain Journal, Volumes 2-3, Published by Jain Bhawan 1967