Bhagwan Anantnath - 14th Tirthankar

Queen Suyasha Devi, wife of king Simhasen of Ayodhya, gave birth to an illustrious son on the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh. During her pregnancy the queen dreamt of a very long strand of beads whose ends were not visible. The power and the glory of the king also increased manifold during this period. Accordingly the new born was named Anant (endless) Kumar.

After leading a normal life, first as a price and then as the king he became an ascetic along with one thousand other persons. He became an omniscient on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh under an Ashok tree. In his first discourse he elaborated the subject of the fundamentals-matter and life. He had fifty chief disciples including the senior most named Yash. Purushottam Vasudev and Suprabh Baldev reigned during his period of influence.

Bhagavan Anantnath got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra.

Bhagwan Vimalnath - 13th Tirthankar

King Kritvarma and queen Shyanan Devi of Kampilpur were both spiritualists and devotees of the Jina. The queen one day saw fourteen auspicious things in her dream and the augurs announced that she will give birth to a Tirthankar. It was the pious soul that in its earlier birth was king Padmasen of Mahapuri town in Datakikhand and had descended into the queens womb from the Mahardhik dimension of gods.

During her pregnancy the queen radiated a soothing glow. Her temperature also became congenial, kind, and generous. When the child was born the whole atmosphere was also filled with a soothing glow. Inspired by this spread of purity, the king named his new born son as Vimal (pure/untarnished).

In due course, prince Vimal Kumar became young, was married, and then ascended the throne. After a long and successful reign he became a Shraman along with one thousand other kings and princes on the fourth day of the bright half of the month of Magh. After two years of spiritual practices he attained omniscience and established the religious ford. Merak Prativasudev, Svayambhu Vasudev, and Bhadra Baldev were his contemporaries.

Bhagavan Vimalnath got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the seventh day of the dark half of the month of Ashadh.

Bhagwan Vasupujya - 12th Tirthankar

King Padmottar ruled over Mangalavati town of Ardhapushkar island. He was a person devoted to spiritual pursuits. In later part of his life he took Diksha from Acharya Vajranabh. Reducing the tarnish of Karma by penance and spiritual practices he earned the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma and incarnated as a god in the Pranat dimension.

Vasupujya was the king of Champa town in the Bharat sub-continent. His queen was Jaya Devi. Besides being a great warrior King Vasupujya was a compassionate and charitable person. The queen too was benevolent and she inspired the king in his charitable activities.

The being that was Padmottar was born to queen Jaya Devi. It is said that when the queen was pregnant, the king of gods came to convey his veneration to the future Tirthankar and his mother. As Indra is also known as Vasu, the newborn was named Vasupujya (venerated by Vasu).

As Vasupujya grew, so grew his inherent detachment and apathy for mundane affairs. He had no attraction for the regal splendor and grandeur. When he became young his parents wanted him to marry but he declined. He even conveyed that he had no intention of ascending the throne. In spite of all persuasions from his family members, he renounced the worldly life and became a Shraman on the fifteenth day of the dark half of the month of Phalgun along with six hundred other persons.

The intensity of his spiritual practices was so deep that he became an omniscient within one month. At that moment he was practicing under a Patal tree in a garden outside Champa town. He established the four pronged religious ford and preached for a long period.

The second Vasudev, Dwiprishtaha, was his devotee. He and his brother Baldev Shrivijay conquered Prativasudev Tark and brought his oppressive rule to an end. Shrivijay later joined the ascetic order of Bhagavan Vasupujya.

Bhagavan Vasupujya got Nirvana in Champa town on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Ashadh.

Bhagwan Shreyansnath - 11th Tirthankar

In his earlier incarnation, the being that was to become Bhagavan Shreyansnath purified his soul as king Nalingulm, and went to the Mahashakra dimension of gods. From there he descended and took birth as Shreyans Kumar, the son of king Vishnuraja and queen Vishnu Devi of Simhapur. Shreyans Kumar was born on the twelfth day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapad.

He had a normal princely life and ascended the throne when Vishnuraja retired. After a long reign Shreyans Kumar became a Shraman and within a short span of two months attained omniscience on the fifteenth day of the dark half of the month of Magh under a mango tree. He got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the third day of the dark half of the month of Shravan.

It was during his period that the being that was to be Bhagavan Mahavir reigned as the first Vasudev Triprishta. After the death of Triprishtha, his brother Baldev Achal became a disciple of Dharmghosh who was a follower of Shreyansnath. Achal got liberated in this birth.

Bhagwan Sheetalnathji - 10th Tirthankar

The being that was to be Bhagavan Sheetalnath, in his previous but one birth was the king of Susima town in the Pushkarvar island. His name was Padmottar. When his son reached adulthood the religious king gave his kingdom to the son and took Diksha from Tristadha Muni. Vigorous spiritual practices and worship of the pious states as mentioned in the scriptures resulted in his acquiring the Tirthankar-nam and gotra-karma. Completing his age he reincarnated as the king of the Pranat dimension of gods.

One day due to some strange ailment, king Dridhrath had high fever and acute burning sensation in his body. He did not get any relief even after applying a variety of ointments. Out of anxiety and to comfort the king, the queen put her palm on his body. This mere touch of the queen removed the burning sensation and a feeling of soothing relief swept his body. After this incident the king decided to name the new born as Sheetal (cool/calm).

Sheetalnath was born on the twelfth day of the dark half of the month Magh. When he grew older he married at the request of his parents. At proper time, king Dridhrath coronated him and took Diksha. After a long and successful reign Sheetalnath left his home and became an ascetic. He attained omniscience under a Peepal tree on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush. After wandering and preaching for a long time, he came to Sammetshikhar and attained Nirvana on the second day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh.

Bhagwan Suvidhinathji - 9th Tirthankar

Bhagwan Suvidhinathji - 9th Tirthankar

In the tradition started by Bhagavan Rishabhdev the ninth Tirthankar re-established the four pronged religious ford by Bhagavan Suvidhinath. During his earlier incarnation as emperor Mahapadma of Pushkalvati Vijay, purified his soul to the extant of earning Tirthankar-nam and gotra-karma. He took birth in the Vijayant dimension of gods and from there he descended into the womb of queen Rama Devi, wife of king Sugriva of Kakandi town.

During the period of pregnancy queen Rama developed a strange capacity to develop processes for doing even the most difficult of tasks. Everyone got astonished at her skill. When the child was born the king accordingly named him as Suvidhi (correct procedure). During the teething period of the child the mother got a craving for playing with flowers. As such, he was also popularly known as Pushpadant (flower-tooth).

Suvidhinath had a normal princely life, but with detachment. He became an ascetic at an early age and attained omniscience only after four months rigorous spiritual practices. He got Nirvana at Sammetshikhar on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Kartik.

Extinction of the Religious Ford

The tradition of the four pronged religious ford started by Bhagavan Rishabhdev gradually became extinct after the Nirvana of Bhagavan Suvidhinath. After his death, first the ascetic organization disintegrated and a time came when there was no ascetic left. The religious discourses were given by common citizens or Shravaks. Slowly the influence of wealth became overpowering and people started forgetting the principals of five vows including Ahimsa and truthfulness. The discipline of spiritual principles gave way to ritualistic exchanges of wealth and total indiscipline.

Bhagwan Chandraprabhuji - 8th Tirthankar

Bhagwan Chandraprabhuji - 8th Tirthankar

In his birth as king Padma of Mangalavati town of Dhatkikhand, the being that was to become Bhagavan Chandraprabh earned Tirthankar-nam and gotra-karma. Spending a life time as a god in Anuttar Vijay dimension he descended into the womb of queen Lakshmana, wife of king Mahasen of Chandranana town.

During her pregnancy, one day the queen was looking at the splendors and glowing full-moon. All of a sudden she had a strange desire to drink the glowing streak of moon light. The king cleverly managed to satisfy this strange desire of a pregnant mother.

On the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Paush the queen gave birth to a healthy son who was fair and glowing like the moon. He was named Chandraprabh (glow of the moon).

Chandraprabh was apathetic towards the mundane pleasures and princely grandeur. After he ascended the throne his reign was short lived. He became an ascetic in the prime of his youth and just after three months of acute spiritual practices he became an omniscient. For a considerably long period he continued to enlighten the people and propagate the true religion. When liberation approached he went to Sammet Shikhar and after a month of long fast and meditation got liberated.