Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan: Life Stories of the Twenty-third Tirthankara

Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan, who is also known as Parasnath Bhagwan, was the 23rd Tirthankara of our present time cycle. He lived for 100 years.

Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan’s laanchhan is snake. Parshwa Yaksh Dev and Padmavati Yakshini Devi are His Shaasan Dev and ShaasanDevi, respectively. Come, now let’s read about Lord Parshwanath’s previous nine births and His life story as a Tirthankara.

The First Birth

In Jambudweep’s Bharatkshetra, there was King Arvind who ruled in a town named Potanapur. He was very powerful and had good conduct. He was religious, pious and gave a lot of happiness to his masses. In his kingdom, he had a very intelligent and religious minister named Vishwabhuti Purohit.

The minister had two promising sons namely Kamath and Marubhuti. Both the sons had earned good name and fame from the business they had nicely established. Kamath’s wife’s name was Varuna and Marubhuti’s wife’s name was Vasundhara. Of the two daughters-in-law, Vasundhara, was extraordinarily beautiful.

Vishwabhuti Purohit happened to meet a Jain Muni. Listening to his preaching, the minister developed dispassion toward worldly life. Handing over the ministerial responsibilities to his two sons, he renounced the worldly life.

Vishwabhuti’s younger son, Marubhuti, was very religious-minded; despite having an extremely beautiful wife, he did not have any interest in sensual pleasures. He spent his entire time in religious meditation only. Whereas the elder son, Kamath, who was made a minister, was excessively indulged in sensual pleasures and luxuries; he always remain drowned in it.

Once, seeing the beauty of Marubhuti’s wife, lust arose in Kamath and he wanted to have her. Vasundhara was unhappy as her husband was disinterested in sensory pleasures. So, a bad conduct of both had begun.

Seeing the illicit relationship between her husband and her sister-in-law, Varuna was deeply hurt. Not being able to bear it, she talked to Marubhuti about it. However, Marubhuti, being a pious and positive-minded person, did not believe it initially. However, as Varuna kept saying about it again and again, he decided to check the facts himself. One day, he made an excuse to Kamath that he was going out of station. Later, in a disguise of a traveller, he sought shelter at Kamath’s home and saw the evil conduct of his brother and wife with his own eyes. Seeing this, he was shocked. Not understanding what to do, he complained to King Arvind. King Arvind insulted Kamath, made him sit on a donkey and banished him.

Kamath bound a strong vengeance towards Marubhuti. The vengeance bound in this birth went on for next nine births. In the tenth birth, when Lord Parshwanath came in the state of a total Vitrag, that’s when the vengeance got over. The vengeance got bound in this birth. In every birth, thereafter, Marubhuti’s death happened at the hands of Kamath only. The passion of anger led to tremendous hatred, scorn, disdain, and finally, revenge was bound.

Kamath held onto his revenge, but due to religious meditation, a feeling of revenge had not remained in the heart of Marubhuti. He had intense remorse for what he did. The elder brother towards whom earlier hatred occurred, now for the same brother, attachment arose. So, Marubhuti pleaded a lot before the king to call Kamath back, but the king did not accept it. Marubhuti was missing his brother a lot, and not being able to bear it, he reached the group of ascetics (where Kamath was then located) to call Kamath back. There, he saw Kamath doing rigorous penance. Marubhuti bowed down in Kamath’s feet and sought a lot of forgiveness, but the fire of vengeance burning in the heart of Kamath did not subside at all; on the contrary, seeing Marubhuti, the fire became more pronounced. In great anger, Kamath picked up a big stone and threw it on his younger brother’s head, as a result of which Marubhuti died.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan advised to practice pratikraman, repentance. He would say that forgiveness should be asked in person only when the other person responds to your act of seeking forgiveness; if one does not respond but remains neutral, then also you can seek forgiveness; but if the reaction is adverse, then forgiveness cannot be asked (from such person in person) or else vengeance would increase. There, keep asking for forgiveness in mind from the Soul within that person. When vengeance increases, so many births get spoilt.

On the other hand, when someone comes to us asking for pardon, we should immediately grant forgiveness with a true heart. Even ahead than this, the Gnanis, the Enlightened Beings have natural forgiveness, which doesn’t have to be given or asked for at all. The Gnanis, the Tirthankaras have a flawless vision; they cannot see anyone guilty.

The Second Birth and the Third Birth

As Marubhuti died in aartadhyan, in his next birth, he was born as an elephant; Kamath’s wife Varuna was born as a female elephant. On the other hand, owing to the feelings of severe anger and vengeance that Kamath harnessed in his mind, he was born as a poisonous snake in the same forest.

Meanwhile, King Arvind continued to rule his kingdom with a kind heart. One day, in his palace’s balcony, he saw various clouds in interesting shapes, creating beautiful scenes. The king was thoroughly enjoying this scene. Just then, a strong wind swayed away all the clouds. In no time, the sky became absolutely clear.

Witnessing this sequence of events, the king was surprised and he started thinking, “This body and this life of mine are also as transient as these clouds. One day, this is how death will gush in and its end will come.” This made him realize that everything is temporary and he felt like, “Behind these temporary things lies some permanent element, which is our own Self only and we have to know that. What is that permanent element? Who is it? The purpose of my life should be to know that.”

With all these thoughts of dispassion, King Arvind went to a great Muni named Sagardutt and took Diksha. After taking Diksha, he did a lot of Dharmadhyan (religious meditation) and advanced in his awareness. To progress further on this path, he took the Aagna of his Guru, and along with his big Sangh (clan), went to the Ashtapad Mountains. This was where Lord Rishabhdev’s son Bharat Chakravarti had built a beautiful Tirth housing the idols of the 24 Tirthankaras.

On the way, Arvind Muni explained to people the significance of a Tirth, “As long as we remain in the world, we remain bound with all its mess. We remain so entangled into our worldly responsibilities that we do not have any scope to do any religious meditation or find Gnanis (the Enlightened One who can initiate our spiritual progress). This is not to be found by everyone just sitting at home; we only have to go ahead and put in the effort. That’s the reason why Tirths are important.

Pious people, Gurus and Gnanis come to Tirths. It is important that at a Tirth, by surrendering to a Gnani who has attained the Soul, we also attain the same. Furthermore, it is also very important that we visit different Tirth places, do darshan (devotional viewing) there, and bow down before the Gods / Goddesses revered there. This is essential to wash off the offences we may have committed in the past against any God-Goddesses, Gurus or religions.”

Arvind Muni’s camp, en-route to the Ashtapad Mountains, took a stop in a forest that was on the way. Coincidentally, in the same jungle, the elephant (Marubhuti) came near the camp. In his fun mood, the elephant was creating mischief and scattering things all around. Arvind Muni, by his knowledge of clairvoyance, saw that this elephant was a reincarnation of Marubhuti only.

Arvind Muni felt like giving the elephant right understanding. Remaining completely in the state of the Soul, with full concentration, he started seeing the Soul of the elephant. Arvind Muni, with great compassion, saw into the eyes of the elephant and connected with the pure Soul residing within the elephant.

The effect of his vision was such that the elephant became calm and still. Based on the Muni’s wish, the elephant attained Jatismaran Gnan (knowledge of one’s previous lives) and he could see his previous birth. The realization of the high stage of King Arvind along with what sinful deeds he was doing by being an elephant triggered dispassion in him. With a lot of devotion, bowing his trunk again and again, he paid his obeisance to Arvind Muni.

The power to understand human language got invoked in the elephant. Muni gave the elephant right understanding and he reminded him of his last birth’s religious beliefs. On the other hand, the female elephant too attained Jatismaran Gnan and she also experienced dispassion. Both the elephants decided to pass their life in religious meditation and equanimity. Without hurting anyone in the jungle, the elephant started living a non-violent life.

One day, the elephant went to drink water in the pond, but he got trapped into the sticky mud there. Doing penance, his body had become weak because of which he couldn’t come out. He realised that his death was near. Hence, he remained in a lot of worship and religious meditation and maintained awareness that kashays (inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit and greed) do not happen.

Just then, a poisonous snake (Kamath) happened to pass by. Seeing the elephant, his previous birth’s vengeance got invoked. The snake bit the elephant. The elephant did not spoil his inner intent towards the snake at all. On the contrary, he felt grateful to the snake for ending his life as an animal and pushing him forward to a higher life form. Remaining focussed in the meditation of the Soul, the elephant left his body and attained Samadhi maran (blissful death during which One is in the awareness of the Self)!

As his consciousness was into Dharmadhyan (religious mediation), the Soul of the elephant reincarnated as a celestial being in the Sahastrar heaven. On the other hand, the female elephant (Varuna) passed her life in penance and religious mediation, and later, reincarnated as a celestial Goddess in the heaven. Kamath, upon giving trouble to everyone, bound a lot of bad karma and took birth in the hell.

The Fourth Birth and the Fifth Birth

After completing a long celestial life form, Marubhuti’s Soul took birth in Tilaka Nagri, located in the Mahavideh Kshetra of Jambudweep at King Vidyutgati and Queen Kanaktilaka’s place. He was named Kiranveg. In few years, he grew up into an extremely good-looking, intelligent and a powerful prince. One day, King Vidyutgati, listening to a Muni Maharaj’s preaching, developed dispassion. He handed over the throne to Prince Kiranveg and took Diksha.

King Kiranveg was ruling his kingdom skilfully. One day, he happened to meet a Muni named Sadguru. He delivered to the king a sermon explaining the impermanence of material things and the permanence of the Soul as well as the Soul’s eternal bliss. Listening to this preaching, King Kiranveg developed tremendous dispassion. He handed over the kingdom to his son Kirantej and adopted Diksha.

With due permission from his Guru, Muni Kiranveg became ‘ekalvihari’, meaning, he wandered alone in forests and performed severe penance and spiritual practice. Once, while Muni was deeply engrossed in the mediation of the pure Soul, a fierce snake (Kamath’s reincarnation) saw him.

Seeing the Muni, the snake’s hostility, carried over since multiple births, got invoked, and getting very angry, he bit the Muni. Although the monk was in terrible pain, he remained still in religious meditation and he did not have any negative thought for the serpent, nor did he see the serpent as guilty. The Muni left his body with equanimity and in religious meditation.

The next birth of Muni Kiranveg happened in the 12th heaven. On the other hand, the deadly snake went to the Tamaprabha hell, the sixth hell, where he suffered deadly pain for lakhs of years.

The Sixth and the Seventh Birth

After completing the lifespan in the 12th heaven, the Soul of Marubhuti took birth in Shubhankara Nagri located in the Western Mahavideh Kshetra, at the powerful King Vajraveerya and Queen Lakshmivati’s place. The parents named their son Vajranabh, who in just few years’ time, grew up to be a valorous king.

Once, Tirthankara Kshemankar’s Samovasaran was set up in that very kingdom’s garden. On learning that the Deshna’s arrangement has happened, King Vajranabh was extremely happy. He thanked his stars for this! Listening to the beautiful Deshna of the Tirthankara, the king instantly experienced dispassion, and handing over the kingdom’s responsibilities to his son, He took Diksha from the Lord. He left for the jungle and did a lot of religious meditation there.

In the same jungle, one angry Bhil Adivasi named Kurang (Kamath’s reincarnation) was passing his life doing hunting and killing all creatures in the jungle. While he was passing through the jungle, seeing the Muni engrossed in meditation, he got furious, and in his anger, he hit the arrow at the Muni and killed him. While Vajranabh Muniraj breathed his last, he had no ill-feeling towards Kurang.

Vajranabh Muniraj, being in tremendous religious meditation, reincarnated in the Madhya-Graiveyak devlok as Lalitang Dev. Kurang’s rebirth then happened in the seventh hell, where one has to go through immense suffering for a very long period of time.

The Eight Birth and the Ninth Birth

In the Eastern Mahavideh Kshetra, King Kulish was ruling over Puranapur Nagar. One night, his wife, Queen Sudarshana, saw 14 dreams indicating the birth of a Chakravarti son. After the birth of the child, his name was kept as Suvarnabahu. This child was the reincarnation of King Vajranabh. When he grew up, he married Princess Padmavati. Later, winning over the six khands, he attained the status of Chakravarti. For a long period, he ruled over his kingdom nicely.

Once, Tirthankara Jagannath arrived in the kingdom of King Suvarnabahu. On getting this news, King Suvarnabahu went to the Lord. After listening to Lord’s Deshna, the king handed over his kingdom to his sons and took Diksha. By doing penance in the jungle and devotedly doing a lot of worship of the Tirthankara Lord, he accomplished many of the 20 sthanaks, and thereby, bound the Tirthankara-naam-and-gotra karma.

Once, while Muni Suvarnabahu was in deep meditation in a forest, a fierce lion (Kamath’s reincarnation) happened to pass by. Seeing the Muni, he felt a lot of disgrace for him. His vengeance exploded. The lion pounced on Muni and tore him apart. The Muni, at that moment, was in his religious meditation and in the bliss of his Soul. He did not see the lion guilty at all. While meditating upon Soul, he left the body; he attained Samadhi maran.

Suvarnabahu Muni’s next birth happened in the 10th heaven as Mahaprabh Dev. On the other hand, the lion died and went to the fourth hell where he had to undergo enormous suffering.

Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan – Birth and Rule

In the Bharat Kshetra, King Ashvasen and Queen Vama Devi ruled in the city of Varanasi. When the Soul of Chakravarti Suvarnabahu was to descend from the celestial world into the womb of Vama Devi, she got 14 dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankara!

When the Lord was in the womb, Vama Devi saw a snake, due to which the Lord was named Parshwa. He slowly grew up into a handsome prince.

On the other end, King Prasenjeet ruled over the city of Kushasthal. He had an exceptionally beautiful and intelligent daughter named Prabhavati. The king was extremely worried about how he would find a suitable husband for his beautiful daughter.

One day, while Prabhavati was with her friends in a garden, some beautiful damsels were describing Prince Parshwa Kumar that He is extremely good looking, detached, is going to be a Tirthankara, and He alone is a suitable match for Prabhavati. Listening to this, feelings arose in the heart of Prabhavati for Parshwa Kumar and she decided that she would marry Parshwa Kumar only. Her friends conveyed this to King Prasenjeet.

Meanwhile, King Yavanraj of Kalinga learnt about Prabhavati’s beauty and he decided to marry her. King Yavanraj challenged King Prasenjeet that he would wage a war against him and kidnap Prabhavati. To save Prabhavati, King Prasenjeet sought help from King Ashvasen. King Ashvasen promised to protect him and started his preparations for the war.

However, Prince Parshwa Kumar requested His father to allow him instead to fight the war. Seeing the huge army of Parshwa Kumar, King Yavanraj got extremely nervous. He went to Parshwa Kumar to negotiate. Seeing the calm face and loving eyes of Parshwa Kumar, Yavanraj’s vengeance, lust and ego, all dissolved. He fell into the feet of Parshwa Kumar and asked for forgiveness. Receiving the natural forgiveness of Parshwa Kumar, Yavanraj returned back home.

Gnanis and Tirthankaras can see the other person as innocent only. They do not have to give forgiveness; they have natural forgiveness all the time.

Despite not having any desire for marriage, upon great insistence from King Prasenjeet and His own parents, Parshwa Kumar got married to Prabhavati. Thereafter, King Ashvasen handed over the kingdom’s responsibilities to Parshwa Kumar and took Diksha.

Dharnendra Dev and Padmavati Devi

Once, Parshwa Kumar was out to take an overview of the town. There, He saw crowds and crowds of people going to Taapas performing a Panchaagni havan in the havankund. Taapas (Kamath’s reincarnation) was born at a Brahmin’s place; as soon as he was born, his mother, father and siblings all had died. Seeing the prosperity and affluence of rich and prosperous people, in order to attain the same, he had taken up severe penances.

True penance is the inner penance that happens by cutting the passions (kashays). When someone insults, abuses, or any kind of difficulties and calamities come, in there, anger, pride, deceit, and greed do not happen, we see the other person as totally innocent, and we are grateful to him—that’s when true penance is said to have happened.

Parshwa Kumar saw that Taapas was doing severe penance with utter ignorance. He explained to Taapas that he should leave this ignorant penance, as there is tremendous violence involved in it but Taapas did not agree to it.

Tirthankaras, owing to their past births’ Sadhana, have right from birth, three types of knowledge namely, Shrut Gnan, Mati Gnan and Avdhi Gnan (clairvoyance). Parshwa Kumar, with His clairvoyance, saw a couple of snakes trapped in a log burning in the havankund. Both the snakes were experiencing a lot of suffocation due to the burning wood. Parshwa Kumar ordered His soldiers to cautiously break open the burning log. Parshwa Kumar gave them water to drink and chanted the Navkaar Mantra. The snakes felt very fortunate for being able to hear the most pious Navkaar Mantra, and that too during the last few minutes before their death, from the mouth of Lord Parshwanath himself!

While doing the darshan of Lord with their eyes, and with their ears listening to the Navkaar Mantra from Lord’s mouth, the snakes died. Being in higher consciousness at the time of the death, both the snakes attained the celestial life form. The male snake became Dharnendra Dev and the female snake became Padmavati Devi.

The viewers present there very much disgraced Kamath’s such penance. Kamath’s vengeance towards Parshwa Kumar erupted, and being very furious, he walked out from there. However, a lot of hatred towards the prince got created inside him. He did severe penance to attain the celestial life form. However, since it was ignorant penance, Kamath attained a lower celestial life form; He became a heavenly being named Meghmali.

Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan - Diksha

As Lord Parshwanath’s bhogaavli karma finished, the celestial Gods requested Him to take Diksha for the benefit of the people. To attain Moksha and help other people attain it, Lord Parshwanath left behind all His comforts, luxuries, kingdom, and family, took Diksha and left for the forest. As He took Diksha, He attained the fourth type of spiritual knowledge, Manahparyav Gnan.

Upon taking Diksha, in every Tirthankara Bhagwan, Manahparyav Gnan manifests automatically. Manahparyav Gnan means one is able to precisely read (see) other’s minds as is. When one can read (see) what’s going on in one’s own mind as is, one is introvert; only then one can read (see) what’s going on in other’s mind. When one is seeing whatever is going on in one’s own mind, one is being free from the mind and the mind becomes clean as a mirror.

Meghmali’s Harassment

One day, Parshwa Prabhu was standing in the posture of penance (Kausag) and was engrossed in deep meditation of the Soul. That’s when Meghmali Dev (Kamath’s reincarnation), while passing by from there, saw the Lord, and with clairvoyance, he came to know about his revenge with Him. Meghmali’s vengeance popped out and to take revenge, he inflicted a lot of harassments onto the Lord.

Firstly, to scare the Lord, he sent huge elephants, wolves, and tigers. However, the Lord was completely still in His meditation of the Soul; nothing touched Him. Then, Meghmali threw heavy stones at the Lord and showered torrential rains upon Him. The rains were so heavy that the water rose upto Parshwa Prabhu’s ankles, knees and in just few moments, it reached the tip of His nose! However, He was unperturbed. He continued with His meditation.

Meanwhile, Dharnendra Dev and Padmavati Devi, whom Prince Parshwa Kumar, in their previous birth, had saved from the log of wood burning in Kamath’s Panchaagni havan, got to know through their clairvoyance that the Lord was being harassed. They had a lot of love and affection towards Lord Parshwanath. Dharnendra Dev and Padmavati Devi, with a lightning speed, rushed to the Lord.

Padmavati Devi turned into a lotus and lifted the Lord up from beneath. Dharnendra Dev, the serpent-king, provided shelter by making an umbrella of his own seven hoods over the head of the Lord. Getting the protection from both the top as well as bottom, the Lord remain unaffected by the Kamath’s harassment.

Dharnendra Dev then lovingly and compassionately scolded Meghmali and made him understand, “How big sinner you are! Lord Parshwanath is a Tirthankara’s Soul with whose mere darshan one is able to attain Keval Gnan and go to Moksha and one is able to be free from the vicious cycle of birth and death. Despite being with Him for nine births, you could not understand His compassion! Whenever you killed the Lord, He has never spoilt His intent towards you. Right from the first birth, you see where all you have done mistakes. You are so unfortunate that in your bid to take revenge, so many times you went to hell yet you never turned back. Now beware! Or else, there is no way you can save yourself.”

These compassionate words touched the heart of Meghmali and he was overwhelmed with the feelings of repentance and remorse. He fell into the feet of Parshwanath Bhagwan with tears rolling down his cheeks and begged for the Lord’s mercy to help wash away his anger, feeling of vengeance and all his bad deeds. Meghmali begged for pardon and asked for the Lord’s shelter.

When Dharnendra Dev and Padmavati Devi gave protection to the Lord and on the other end, Meghmali gave tremendous harassment to Him, yet to the Lord, neither an iota of hatred or abhorrence happened towards Meghmali nor an iota of attachment or liking happened towards Dharnendra Dev and Padmavati Devi. The Lord was completely free from attachment and hatred, and simultaneously, one got to see the Lord’s state of absolute detachment.

Lord Parshwanath lived a worldly life of up to 30 years of age. After taking Diksha, 84 days later, He attained Keval Gnan. After Keval Gnan, for 70 years, He gave Deshna to thousands of people and kindled in them an aspiration for Moksha. Thousands of people attained the right understanding from Him. Many adopted the Shravak dharma; many took the Shravika dharma; many became Sadhus and Sadhvis; many became Keval Gnanis and went to Moksha in the same birth. Lord Parshwanath attained Nirvana.

Today, people do worship of Parshwanath Prabhu with great faith and devotion. In the entire world, maximum temples are that of Lord Parshwanath, as Padmavati Devi is tremendously brightening the Lord’s Shaasan (reign). The function of Shaasan Devas and Shaasan Devis is to ensure that people are devoted to and worship the Tirthankara Bhagwan and they move towards the path of salvation. However, in today’s times, as the terrible empire of ignorance prevails worldwide, people do not worship the Shaasan Devas and Shaasan Devis for attaining Moksha; rather, they keep fasts and resolve to get rid of their worldly material obstacles.

We must always remember that the Shaasan Devasand Shaasan Devis are celestial beings of the highest order. They never get into fulfilling people’s worldly desires. Each one gets the fruits of their own bad and good deeds. They do whatever they can for people’s Moksha. Therefore, we must earnestly worship Padmavati Devi and seek Her blessings only for the purpose of salvation se of salvation (the ultimate liberation).