Concept of Tīrthankara

-Arun Kumar Upadhyay, IPS

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1. Ŗşi and Muni-Ŗşi-has 7 meanings-(1) String-(rassi in Hindi)-Primordial string of 10-35
meters.
(2) Stars-e.g.-Saptarşi, (3) Seer of mantras-seeing link between cosmic, physical, internal
worlds. Link (rassi) between world of 3 levels, and common men (called Rasūla in Koran). (4)
Starting a school of study, chain of guru-śişya, (5) Starting social groups (gotra), (6) Genetic
link of man for 21 generations, (7) 7 dimension out of 10 of space indicating link between
bodies/particles.
Muni-A person who has control over body and mind = without rāga (attachment), bhaya
(fear), krodha (anger) and with steady intellect.
Only a Muni can be a seer of mantras, so all ŗşis have been called Muni also.
A ŗşi may reveal a truth, but it will not be accepted by people without backing of an
authority of a king. In any theoretical discussion, there will be many correct alternatives and
some incorrect also. But only one can be followed. Even for a king to be followed, a moral
justification is needed. Highest moral justification is provided by a king who is selfless, as
shown by his renouncing the world. A faultless king who has become a sanyāsī is a
Tīrthankara, i.e. he guides people to cross ocean of world.
2. Tīrthankaras-First Tīrthankara in current era was Ŗşabhadeva in about 9,500 BC when
civilization re-started in current historical kalpa (phase of civilization) after glacial floods in
about 10,000 BC. His son Bharata also was Chakravartī and sanyāsī later on, but he faltered
and developed attachment, for which he could not become a Tīrthankara. Thereafter, many
kings having sway over world became sanyāsī. Only those have become Tīrthankara, but our
difficulty is that Purāņas give their birth name or the name which became famous as a king.
But, jaina texts give names of sanyāsī period only. There is need to match them. By taking
them as separate persons, it looks as if there was no historical relevance of kings becoming
Tīrthankara and they were not among historic kings. Thus, the kings who became
Tīrthankara might be-Ikśvāku (8576 BC), Pururavā (8450 BC) , Yayāti (8200 BC), Māndhātā
(7600 BC), Sagara (6762 BC), Bharata (son of Duşyanta) in c5000 BC. Samvarana (4159-
4071 BC), Kuru (4071-3999 BC), Uparichara-Vasu (3751-3709 BC), The Vyāsas –Surakśaņa
(8100 BC), Tryāruņa (7700 BC), Dhanañjaya (7400 BC), Kŗtañjaya (7000 BC), Ŗtañjaya (6650
BC), Vāchaspati (Niryantara) in 5600 BC, Sukalyāņa (5200 BC), Tŗņabindu (4850 BC). Among
great kings Nahuşa (8250 BC), got post of Indra, but became serpent due to curse of Bhŗgu.
Rāma (4433-4363 BC) was the greatest, but he expired as a king at age of 70 years when
his sons Kuśa and Lava were 21 years of age and ministers had to rule for 4 years. He had
lived in forest for 14 years before becoming king, but was not a sanyāsī. So, Nahuşa and
Rāma were not Tīrthankara.
3.Yudhişţhira asTīrthankara-There is a lot of speculation about 22nd Yudhişţhira
Neminātha jī. He is assumed to be a sage Arişţanemi mentioned in Chhāndogya upanişad.
But again, Neminātha jī was not a king who became sanyāsī later on. Neminātha jī has been
stated a cousin of Bhagawān Kŗşņa. Kŗşņa himself was never a king-he was never a
president of the Yādava republic. Only two of his cousins became king-Duryodhana acted as
a king due to support of his father Dhŗtarāşţra, but was not formally crowned as a king.
Yudhişţhira was crowned as a king on 17-12-3139 BC and ruled till 28-8-3102 BC. Then he
remained a sanyāsī till his death in March 3076 BC when Laukika or Saptarşi era started in
Kashmir. He was called a Dharmarāja and was Lokottama (His ratha moved 6 inches above
ground) which are not stated even for Kŗşņa. These 2 are adjectives of a Tīrthankara only.
Next Tīrthankara was Pārśvanātha who was 8 generations after Yudhişţhira in royal family of
Vārāņasī. His original name also appears to be Yudhişţhira, as Jaina Yudhişţhira samvat is
taken from 2634 BC. 7 Generations after Yudhişţhira, Sarasvatī river dried and Hastinapur
drowned due to Gangā floods In this great upheaval, only powerful king was of Vārāņasī who
could manage the country.
Vardhamāna (1905-1795 BC) appears to a small king compared to greats of past. But, in
his time, there was no great king and the democracies of north Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh
were most powerful whom he was able to influence by his moral stature. Politically,
Siddhārtha Buddha (1887-1807 BC) was temporarily more successful, because he relaxed all
norms like vegetarian food, austerity. But it was not eternal like Jaina tradition which still
continues as a parallel to Vedic tradition. Thus, he became a sanyāsī with name Mahāvīra
and the last Tīrthankara.
4. Large numbers in legends-We find un-imaginable large measures of age and size
in descriptions of great men of past. Due to respect, we do not think about the real age etc
and go on increasing the numbers. The great men were physically same as any other men,
only their qualities were superior. There should be no guilty feeling in trying to find out the
real age etc and to follow their ideals of human life.
5. Age of Ŗşabhadeva-The first Jain Tīrthankara Ŗşabhadevaji is said to have life of 100
Koɖā-Koɖī =100 x107 x107 =1016 years. This number cannot be correct as the day-night of
Brahmā is 8.64 x109 years only. In Gītā (8/18-20) that is called measure of creation cycle-in
day of 1000 yugas, when world is created from abstract source. Here, Yuga of 43,20,000
years is cycle of planets up to Saturn which affect long term changes on earth like
eccentricity of orbit, inclination of earth axis, rotation of major axis of orbit, magnetic pole
reversal etc. In modern terms, day night of Brahmā is measure of visible universe called
tapah-loka in light years. Modern estimates vary from 8 to 18 billion light-years. Life of a
single person cannot be million times age of universe. Even in Jaina texts, it is said that
when Ŗşabhadevaji relinquished kingdom, only Bharata was of 25 years of age, and younger
brother Bāhubali had to wait for 4 years, when he was given a small kingdom of Podanapur.
His sons were not Tīrthankara and had normal life only. A person with abnormal height of
500 Dhanuşa cannot talk or live with normal persons, no house or bed of that size can be
built. It is more likely that he had left the kingdom at age of 75 years as per the rules of 4
āśramas made by him (Gītā 4/13). Thereafter, he might have lived up to the age of 100
years or slightly more.
6. Veda as Breath-There is a similar reference in Rāma-charita-mānasa of Tulasīdāsa in
Bālakāņɖa (203/3) that 4 Vedas are his breath. That is translation of Bŗhadāraņyaka
upanişad (2/4/10). The Vedas in word form are not the breath-they are printed in press.
Here, breath means creation cycle of universe of 8.64 billion years. Veda in words is śruti-
jñāna in Jaina terms, so it is called śruti. In India, normal breath cycle is taken as 15 breaths
in 1 minute, i.e. 1 in 4 seconds. In west, it is 18 breaths per minute. Thus, there are 21,600
breaths in 1 day of 86400 seconds (24 x 60 x 60). In 100 years, there are about 36525 days.
So, taking 1 breath equal to creation cycle, age of 100 years is 8.64 x10 9 x 21600 x 36525 =
6.83 x 1018 years. If we take years as days, then it is 1.87 x1016 years. Then, 1016 years will
mean 100/1.87=53 years only. That might be the age when Bharata had attained age of 25
years and was made a king.
7. Chain of Avatāra- Another is the concept of Avatāra = to descend. That is a short
form of the real. Vişņu maintains the creation. On a smaller scale a king does the same, so
he is a form of Vişņu. Ŗşabhadevaji was the first great king after glacial floods in around
10000 BC, so he is one of the 24 avatāra of Vişņu. As a source of knowledge, he is called 9th
avatāra of Śiva in Kūrma purāņa, chapter 10. He revived the Vedas, so he is called 11th
Veda-vyāsa in same purāņa. The word ŗşabha has all these meanings-source of inspiration of
ŗşis, carrying or pulling load like a bullock (ŗşi = rassi or string, rope which pulls), and
maintain people by farming again like a bullock which ploughs. Thus, ŗşabha or vŗşabha
means a bull also. In Gītā, Arjuna has been called ŗşabha among men (puruşarşabha) for
praise. As Śiva Ŗşabhadevaji has been called Digambara (twice in Śiva pañvhākśara stotra).
As consciousness in universe, he is unbound (Ananta, Akabar = without cover), so he has no
boundary. Ambara means cloth, sky and cover. In space only sky is cover, i.e. without any
material boundary. As a man, its meaning is without clothes, or vacant directions as cloth.
As Mahāvīra (Hanumān) is incarnation of Śiva, among Tīrthankaras also was the last in the
chain of 24 was Mahāvīra. Link between previous and later is called nātha (nadha =to tie),
so only the 22 in middle are called nātha, not the first and the last. In sequence of avatāra,
the qualities go on declining. It is similar to genetic chain. A man inherits only half the
chromosomes of his parents. Taking life of Bhagwan Mahāvīra as 100 years (he lived for 110
years in 1905-1795 BC as per Purāņic chronology. Jina-vijaya-mahākāvya gives 599-627 BC
as period of Kālakāchārya, called Vīra, not Mahāvīra), lives of earlier Tīrthankaras can be
increased twice at each step. Then life of first Tīrthankara will be 100 x 223 = 109 years. In
same way, size of body, influence have been increases by later writers out of reverence.
They must have followed similar logic and mathematics.
8. Life of Rāma-Similarly, Rāma has been stated to rule for 11,000 years (Vālmīki
Rāmāyaņa, Bālakāņɖa 1/1/97). In that period, 300 generations would have passed. But when
he died, his twin sons were only 21 years of age and ministers had to rule for 4 years. If he
had such a long life, he would have attained youth at age of 3000 years, but he was made
Yuvarāja at age of 25 years only. Similarly, it has been stated that when Viśvāmitra had
come to take Rāma, he was 15 years but Daśaratha was of 60000 years (Vālmīki Rāmāyaņa,
Bālakāņɖa 1/20/2, 20). Sagara has been said to rule 30,000 years (1/41/26). King Dilīpa died
due to decease after ruling for 30,000 years (1/42/8, 9). Bhagīratha did tapas for 1000 years
(1/42/13). There was allegation on misconduct of king when a child died in unripe age of
5,000 years (5000 days=14 years). Commentator Nīlakaņţha has opined year =1 day in
such cases and half day in case of age of Daśaratha as 60000 years. Thus, was aged 82
years when Rāma was 15 years. At birth of Rāma, Daśaratha was 67 years, Kauśalyā about
60 years. So, Aśvamedha yajña was needed to rejuvenate them-it was internal of human
body, no horse had moved in country. Rāma became king at age of 39 years and he died
after 11000 days at age of 70 years when Lava-Kuśa were 21 years of age.
9. Army of Rāma-In chapter 28 of Yuddhakāņɖa of Vālmīki Rāmāyaņa, strength of Rāma
army is stated in verses (38-40) as 100 mahaugha or 1064. Maximum population which can
be sustained on earth is about 1010 men-current is about 7 x 109. Total number of electron
positron pair in solar system is 1060 - it can be found by dividing solar mass by mass of
electron, both given in texts of physics, e.g. by Resnic and Halliday, appendix. The large
number has been arrived by mixing up of Indian system of numbers increasing by 100’s and
Asura (western) system increasing by 1000’s. Similarly, Tulasīdāsa also stated 18 Padma
(1015) as number of commanders (Sundara kāņɖa 54/2). That also exceeds earth population
by 105. However, Vālmīki Rāmāyaņa clearly describes 18 commanders in 2 chapters of
Yuddhakāņɖa. War had been fought in 18 sectors all over world. For each sector, there was
a commander, called Padma (name of the post or rank, like Padma-śrī etc. now.
Mahābhārata, Udyoga parva (155/24) 1 vāhinī =10 akśauhiņī. (Mahābhārata, Ādi-parva
(2/19-25) gives 1 akśauhiņī = 2, 18, 500 fighting men. Rāvaņa army for attack on Devas was
10, 49, 760 (Uttarakāņɖa 25/33) called 4 sahasra (= about 4) akśauhiņī. Rāvaņa might have
added some more army after capture of some lands after victory over Devas etc and for
preparing against attack of Rāma. But it will not be much more than 5 akśauhiņī. Nīlakaņţha
has commented that Rāma had 62 units (not 1062) compared to 70 units of Rāvaņa. These
62 or 70 units might be like present division of army or senā defined above. If it was senā
i.e. 1 /10 of akśauhiņī then the strengths are 6 (6.2) and 7 akśauhiņī respectively. Thus,
Rāma had about 13 lakh and Rāvaņa about 15 lakhs army. Rāvaņa was ruling most of the
world and had Pātāla (north America-Ahirāvaņa), Africa (Mālī, Sumālī =Somalia), Australia
(golden land = suvarņa bhūmi) under him. Rāma also had support from anti Asura forces
from all over the world. It is stated in Uttarakāņɖa (38/21-27) that 300 kings had helped
Rāma who had been marshalled by king Janaka of Mithilā on hearing about kidnapping of
Sītā.