Shree Anantnath Bhagwan: Life Stories of the Fourteenth Tirthankara

Anantnath Swami is the 14th Tirthankara  of the current time cycle and is recognized by the Falcon emblem. Born in Ayodhya, he was the son of Queen Suyasha and King Sinhsen. His height measured 50 bows. He had 50 Ganadhars (chief disciples of a Tirthankara). Patal Dev is His Yaksh Dev and Ankusha Devi is His Yakshini Devi.

Let’s now go through the life stories of the Lord’s past two births, prior to His birth as Tirthankara. Finally, we will go through the story of his last birth as a Tirthankara in which He gave Deshna on the nav tattva.

The Third-last Birth as King Padmarath and Second-last Birth in the Heaven

In his third-last birth, he was King Padmarath, ruling over Arishta Nagri, located in the Airavat Vijay in the the Purva Mahavideh Kshetra in Ghatki Khand. King Padmarath ruled the Kingdom very smoothly, and later, after many years of reign, took Diksha. 

Post Diksha, he acquired the Tirthankara-naam-gotra-karma. After completing his lifespan, he reincarnated as a celestial being.  

The Last Birth as Tirthankara Anantnath Swami

After completing the lifespan as a celestial being, the Soul of King Padmarath took birth as a Tirthankara. He was born in the Ayodhya Nagari of Bharat Kshetra, to King Sinhsen and Queen Suyasha.

Naming Ceremony

While Anantnath Swami was in the womb of Queen Suyasha, King Sinhasen won over the infinite (Anant) power of his enemies, due to which the son was named Anantnath. 

Childhood and Diksha

Anantnath Swami got married and ruled over the Kingdom for many years. Then, upon the request of the celestial beings, He took Diksha.

Three years after taking Diksha, Anantnath Bhagwan attained Absolute Knowledge (Keval-Gnan). 

Samvasaran and Deshna

Upon attaining Keval-Gnan, the celestial beings created a Samvasaran for Lord Anantnath Prabhu, from where the Lord gave Deshna to people.

The words of a Tirthankar are so powerful that they cut through all the inner veils of karma within the listener, and reach right up to their Soul. The impact of His words is such, that just listening to them, several people sail through the worldly ocean of life and death and attain salvation. There’s no match to a Tirthankara’s ‘syadvada vaani’ in this world. Such speech is nowhere to be heard!!!

Tirthankar Shree Anantnath Bhagwan has given a great Deshna on the Nav Tattva, meaning the nine eternal truths, which is worth knowing to understanding the principle of Moksha Marg. These are:

• Jeev Tattva: Jeev Tattva refers to the element of pure Soul, the life energy that is present in every living being. It is also called Atma Tattva, which we need to realize (Self-realization).

We are really in the form of Atma Tattva only. The characteristics of Atma Tattva are:

• Invisible, cannot be seen
• Infinite vision, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss as inherent nature
• Boundless
• Permanent
• Ageless and immortal
• Immiscible, i.e., doesn’t become one with any other element; it always remains separate
• Unblemished, i.e., despite being close to infinite parmanus (smallest, indivisible sub-atomic particles), its ability to remain untouched

Jeev Tattva (Soul) is what we really are. However, owing to ignorance, we believe ourselves to be ‘John’ (please insert your name here). ‘I am a Soul’ is the ultimate knowledge, which is to be experienced. Upon meeting the Gnani, with His grace, one is able to experience it. So, this is what we all should have an aspiration for, ‘I want to attain the Soul, which is my pure element.’ We’ve attained lots in the worldly realm; but since infinite lives, this is one thing which we’ve not yet attained.

In the ignorant state, by believing to be ‘John’ (please insert your name here); anger, pride, deceit and greed continue to arise. Consequently, we keep binding karma. When we give happiness to others, we bind good karma. Similarly, when we cause hurt or harm others, we bind bad karma. As a result, we experience happiness or unhappiness, respectively. However, after attaining Self-realization, we remain in the nature of the Self. Due to this, as attachment, hatred, and ignorance leave, new karma, good or bad, no more bind.

When the merit karma, accumulated by us over infinite lives with an intention to attain liberation, gives result, we happen to meet a Gnani and we attain Self-realization. Then, the Gnani shows us the path to reach a Tirthankara, the mere darshan of whose helps us attain Keval-Gnan. Keval-Gnan happens when all the deluding karmas shed off completely.

Self-realization happens when the Gnani puts in a line of demarcation between ‘who I am (Soul)’ and ‘who I am not (John)’. Thereafter, by being in the Self, there is no more doership (kartaa bhaav), and consequently, there is no more suffering (bhoktaa bhaav). To experience this is the purpose of human life. Therefore, the Gnanis repeatedly say, “Beware, beware, Soul is your real form. If you realize that, then liberation (Moksha) is here itself.” This Moksha is what we get to experience in the presence of Gnani.

• Ajeev Tattva: Ajeev means the non-living element. There are 6 eternal elements. Besides the Soul (the Jeev Tattva or the living element), the other five elements namely Pudgal, Dharmastikay, Adharmastikay, Kaal and Aakash, fall under Ajeev Tattva. 

• Paap – Paap means the demerit or bad karma. 
• Punya – Punya means the merit or good karma. 
• Ashrav – Ashrav refers to the cause of influx of karma. 
• Samvar – Samvar means the stoppage of new charging of karma. 
• Nirjara – Nirjara implies the exhaustion of karma. 
• Bandh – Bandh, meaning the bondage of new karma. 
• Moksha – Moksha means liberation or salvation. There are two stages of Moksha; the first is to be free from all the sufferings, and the second is the ultimate liberation.
• The first stage of Moksha is experienced while we are alive, in this body itself. It is the experience of, ‘I am a Soul,’ due to which one experiences liberation from all sufferings. The sufferings may exist in the body, but upon realization of, ‘I am Soul,’ they do not touch us (the Soul) at all.
• The second and final stage of Moksha is when all karmas shed off, when the last parmanu of Ayushya karma too sheds off, and only the Absolute Soul remains, which then travels to Siddha Kshetra and settles there forever.

Upon listening to the Deshna of Anantnath Swami, lakhs of people took Diksha and progressed on the path of Moksha. Purushottam Vasudev, the fourth Vasudev of this current half time cycle who was born during the regime of Shree Anantnath Bhagwan, and Suprabh Baldev, the fourth Baldev of this half time cycle, both took Diksha from the Lord. They both also obtained Samyak Darshan (the right vision). Suprabh Baldev went to Moksha in the same birth.

Let’s read some more about these great personalities as well…

Raja Som, the King of the Dwarka Nagri, had two sons, Purushottam and Suprabh. Vasudev Purushottam and Baldev Suprabh were step brothers, as is a rule of the Nature that the Vasudev and the Baldev are always sons of two step-mothers, yet the bonding of love they share is unique in this world. So, these two brothers also had immense love for each other.

Once, inspired by the talks of Naarad Muni, King Madhu, the Prativasudev, demanded extortion money from King Som. On receiving these news, both his sons scrapped the demand and declared a war against King Madhu.

As per the law of Nature, the Prativasudev is destined to be killed at the hands of the Vasudev. Vasudevs have a great ego, as a result of which, they have immense power and capabilities.They are such powerful beings in the world that they can move the Meru Parvat.

Accordingly, a big war was struck between King Madhu and Vasudev Purushottam. Towards the end of the war, as per the law of Nature, Vasudev Purushottam beheaded Prativasudev Madhu with his chakra. Following this, all the Kings under the control of King Madhu surrendered before Vasudev Purushottam. And the victorious King Purushottam was coronated as Vasudev.

Later, one day, Vasudev Purushottam and Baldev Suprabh went to listen to the Deshna of Lord Anantnath Prabhu and they took Diksha from the Lord. Both attained Samyak Darshan (right vision) too. And Baldev Suprabh, in the same birth, went to Moksha too.

Ultimately, Anantnath Swami, along with 6000 Sadhus, Sadhvis and Kevalis, went to Moksha from the Sammed Shikharji mountain.

Our deepest heart-felt obeisance to this Tirthankara!!! It is our ardent prayer to Him, “May this story of yours kindle in all, the earnest desire to go to Moksha!’