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Simandhara
Simandhar Swami
Shri Simandhar Swami
SymbolBull
ColorWhite
Personal information
Parents
  • Shreyans Kumar (father)
  • Mata Satyaki (mother)
SpouseMata Rukmani

Simandhara is a Tīrthaṅkara, an arihant, who is said to be currently living in another world in the Jain cosmological universe.

Residence in Jain cosmology[edit | edit source]

Tirthankara Simandhar Swami resides at Mahavideh Kshetra, another land within the Jain cosmological universe (see Jain cosmology).[1][2][3]

The five lands of the Bharat Kshetra are currently in the 5th Ara (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not take birth).[4][5] The most recent Tirthankara present on Bharat Kshetra (present world) was Vardhamana Mahavira, whom historians estimate lived between 599-527 BCE, the last in a cycle of 24 Tirthankaras.[6][7]

On Mahavideh Kshetra, the 4th Ara (a spiritually elevated time-cycle) exists continuously. There, Tirthankaras perpetually are born.[8][4] There are 5 Mahavideh Kshetras, each being a separate land. At present, there are 4 Tirthankars residing in each Mahavideh Kshetra. Thus there are a total of 20 Tirthankaras residing there, Simandhar Swami being one among them.[2][9]

Biography per Jain tradition[edit | edit source]

Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankar, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain mythological universe.[10][11] The Arihant Simandhar Swami 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.[12][13] He lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of 32 geographical divisions on Mahavideh Kshetra.[2][14][15] Pundarikgiri is ruled by King Shreyans, who is Simandhar Swami's father. His mother is Queen Satyaki. While pregnant with Simandhar Swami, Queen Satyaki had a sequence of auspicious dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankara.[16][17] Simandhar Swami was born with three complete aspects of Gnan, Self-knowledge:

As a young adult, he married Rukamani Devi and then, later in life, took diksha, renunciation from worldly life.[16]

Simandhar Swami's height is 500 dhanushya, approximately 1,500 feet, which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra.[2]

Worship[edit | edit source]

Iconography[edit | edit source]

Simandhara is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a bull beneath him.[19] Every Tīrthankara has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the Tirthankaras.[20][21][22]

Main temples[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Natubhai Shah 2004.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 University, Jain, Mahavideh Kshetra (PDF), Jain University, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2012
  3. ↑ Darshan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra" (PDF). Jain Darshan.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jainism, My. "Kaal Chakra" (PDF). My Jainism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Jaini 1998, pp. 30–32.
  6. ↑ "Jain Meditation". Archived from the original on 27 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Jaini 1998, pp. 1–41.
  8. ↑ Tirthankaras, Jain. "24 Tirthankaras". Jain Tirthankaras.
  9. ↑ Atmadharma.com. "Adhyatma Pravachanratnatray" (PDF). Atmadharma.com.
  10. ↑ Pravin K Shah, pp. 1–3.
  11. ↑ Umich. "Arihants". Umich.edu.
  12. ↑ http://www.trimandir.org/lord-simandhar-swami/about-simandhar-swami/
  13. ↑ Gnani Purush Dadashri 2005, p. 24.
  14. ↑ Gyan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra". Jain Gyan. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  15. ↑ Gnani Purush Dadashri 2005, p. 15.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 World, Jain. "Simandhar Swami". Jain World. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Dalal, Deepika, Arihant Simandhar Swami (PDF), JAINA, p. 3
  18. ↑ Jaini 1998, p. 3.
  19. ↑ Shah 1987, p. 101.
  20. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica.
  21. ↑ Krishna 2014, p. 34.
  22. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 225.

References[edit | edit source]