Shree Rishabhdev Bhagwan: Life Stories of the First Tirthankara

From the twenty-four Tirthankars, the very first was Lord Rishabhdev Bhagwan, who is considered the origin and founder of all Religions, the Adi Purush. He has been named as "Adim Tirthankar." Adim means first, the very first original being.

Tirthankar Bhagwan Rishabhdev, also known as Adinath Bhagwan, was the first Tirthankar of the third era (third aara as per the Jainism time cycle) of the current time cycle; He was also the first king of the current time cycle. His symbol (laanchhan) is bull (vrushabh). Yakshdev Goumukh is His Shaasan Dev and Yakshini Chakreshwari Devi is His Shaasan Devi.

He had taken 12 births before becoming a Tirthankar. He was born in the Yuglik era as the son of the last Kulkar named Nabhi and Marudevi, due to which He is also known as Mata Marudevi na nand. He was married to Sunanda and Sumangala and had 100 sons and 2 daughters. On attaining Absolute Knowledge (Keval Gnan), He gave Deshna to thousands of spiritual seekers.

Establishment of Asi, Masi, and Krishi by Lord Rishabhdev

During the time of Bhagwan Rishabhdev, it was the era of the Yuglik. In that period, there was no establishment of monarchy or governance. People of the Yuglik era were very simple and virtuous, and they were free from Kashays. But later, as the third era progressed halfway, the time began to change and many transformations started taking place. Kashays, conflicts, violence, and crimes began to emerge among people. Therefore, there arose a need for kingship, governance, punishment, and judicial system. Until Nabhi Kulkar, there was no monarchy, but a Kulkar system was in place. All the celestial beings requested Nabhi Kulkar to change the system and establish a suitable person as king. Nabhi Kulkar proposed the establishment of Bhagwan Rishabhdev as the king. The celestial beings were overjoyed and performed the coronation of Rishabhdev Bhagwan. According to the scriptures, this marks the history of the very first king. After ascending the throne, King Rishabhdev ruled the kingdom beautifully and justly.

In that era, everyone lived by eating fruits and flowers. But gradually, trees began to shrink, and the Kalpavrikshas started to diminish. People began facing scarcity of food and didn’t know what to eat. As per the Lord’s guidance, people began cultivating and consuming grains like rice. However, since fire did not exist at that time, they were unaware of the method of cooking food. This is a unique aspect of human evolution, one that is not found anywhere else. Eating raw rice began causing stomach-ache to people. For the first time, they witnessed fire produced by the friction of two trees. Initially, people would throw rice directly into the fire, which would burn to ashes. Then, seated on an elephant, Lord Rishabhdev taught them how to boil rice by putting it in a clay pot filled with water.

Lord Rishabhdev taught people how to make utensils, as well as various skills like blacksmithing, carpentry, and many others, one by one. He established asi, masi, and krishi which had never existed before. Asi means weapons for protection, masi refers to trade and commerce, and krishi means agriculture. Bhagwan taught how to cultivate grains and how to use them. The Lord transformed people who were living in a very simple, wild state into a civilized manner. During the time of Lord Rishabhdev, people were straightforward and insensitive (jada); during Mahavir Bhagwan’s time, people were perverse (vanka) and insensitive (jada); and in between, people were proficient. As Kashays increased among people, the Lord taught them governance, protection, systems of punishment, and established proper administration and monarchy.

Both daughters of Adinath Bhagwan, Brahmi and Sundari, were highly intelligent. So, Bhagwan imparted to them literacy and knowledge of numbers, that is, mathematics. In doing so, millions of years ago, He initiated women’s education and the study of mathematics. In this era, tremendous advancements have been made, from the jet age and rocket age to nuclear bombs and advanced computer science. The seed for all this was sown by Lord Rishabhdev through His teachings of mathematics and the foundational concepts of asi, masi, and krishi.

After ruling for many years, Lord Rishabhdev took Diksha along with His 98 sons and ransom kings. After Diksha, the Lord performed intense austerities, including a year-long fast without food or water. The spiritual awareness the Lord must have experienced during such profound penance is truly invaluable. He was served by 4,000 renounced kings. Today, who else has 4,000 individuals taking Diksha together under their guidance? And yet, the Lord had not even the slightest trace of ego. When an ordinary person undertakes austerities, their anger often intensifies, but the Lord was completely free from all such tendencies.

At that time, people had no understanding of how to break the fasting (paarnu). Lord Rishabhdev’s great-grandson, Shreyans Kumar, offered sugarcane juice to Him. Even today, the tradition of breaking the Varsitap with sugarcane juice at Palitana continues in His honor.

Keval Gnan to Marudevi Mata

After Bhagwan Rishabhdev attained Keval Gnan, Bharat Chakravarti received two messages at once, one, to attend the Deshna (liberating speech of the Arihant), and the other, preparations for his coronation as Chakravarti (the emperor of six continents). He wondered, “Should I worship the chakra or the Lord?” Worshipping the chakra symbolized conquest and expansion of worldly life through violence, whereas worshipping the Tirthankara Lord led one forward on the path of liberation. He decided to have darshan and worship the Lord. Along with his family and a procession of townspeople, Bharat Chakravarti set out for darshan of Lord Rishabhdev. Since the day the Lord had taken Diksha and renounced worldly life, Marudevi Mata, overwhelmed by separation from her son, lived in deep sorrow, constantly shedding tears day and night. She had wept so much that her eyes developed a film, and she could no longer see. Bharat Chakravarti gently explained to Marudevi that instead of grieving for the Lord, she should feel joy. He then took her along for the Lord’s darshan. Her sorrow began to fade, and a sense of joy and devotion awakened within her.

As Mata Marudevi approached Lord Rishabhdev, heard His divine speech, and witnessed the serene atmosphere, tears of joy began to flow from her eyes. Deep devotion arose within her, and the film over her eyes cleared, allowing her to finally see the Lord. The very moment she did darshan of the Lord, she attained Keval Gnan.

Marudevi Mata, despite living in the worldly life and without taking Diksha, attained Keval Gnan merely through deeply devotional darshan of Lord Rishabhdev. Such was the lightness of her Soul. It is said that Marudevi Mata had emerged from Nigod (the lowest form of life which is not yet in worldly nomenclature. A class of infinitesimal, imperceptible beings that exist in a dormant state). She was seated in a howdah on an elephant, and while beholding the Lord’s darshan, she directly attained Moksha. Despite having a female body, she achieved liberation. Among the ten aashcharyas in the spiritual world, Marudevi Mata’s attainment of Moksha is considered one such wonder. Marudevi Mata was the very first Soul in this time cycle to attain liberation.

Bharat Chakravarti attained Akram Vignan

Lord Adinath entrusted the responsibility of ruling the kingdom to Bahubali and Bharat Chakravarti, while all His other sons accepted Diksha. Bharat Chakravarti had a deep desire within to take Diksha, but the Lord instructed him to follow the Shravak Dharma as he held the position of a Chakravarti. Lord Adinath gave him the Knowledge that even while ruling the vast empire as a Chakravarti, one can remain detached and, in the same birth, attain Keval Gnan and ultimately Moksha. This Knowledge is known as Akram Gnan. Bharat Chakravarti received this Knowledge through the Lord’s words and attained Samyak Drashti (the right belief of ‘I am pure Soul’). The scriptures describe two paths to liberation: the Kramik marg (traditional step-by-step path of spiritual progress) and the Akram marg (step-less, direct path to Self-realization).

Bharat Chakravarti was a king and had numerous queens. To manage thousands of queens, live amidst countless conspiracies, and still remain immersed in the Self, that is no ordinary feat. Bharat Chakravarti carried out all his worldly duties while remaining completely untouched, steadily progressing on the inner spiritual path. Though He lived in the world, He was inwardly detached; though He fought battles, He remained free within. Because it was karma that had come to fruition, and His true inner desire was to be free from all this and attain Moksha. With this higher vision, Bharat Chakravarti fulfilled His worldly duties while remaining in Samyak Drashti. He attained Keval Gnan in the palace of mirrors, which is a remarkable historical event. Lord Rishabhdev attained Nirvana after uplifting thousands of such souls.

Bhagwan Rishabhdev had twelve incarnations. Let us read in detail about His past lives and His journey from birth to Nirvana.