Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan: Life Stories of the Tenth Tirthankara

Tirthankara Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan was the tenth Tirthankara of the present time cycle. His body was golden in complexion and His height measured 90 bows.

Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan’s symbol is Shrivatsa (kalpavriksha). Brahma Yaksha Dev and Ashoka Yakshini Devi are His Shaasan Dev and Shaashan Devi, respectively. Come, let’s now read about the life story of the Lord and His past two births.

Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan – The Past Births

Tirthankara Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan’s antepenultimate birth was as King Padmottar in the Vajravijay’s Sushima Nagri, located in the Pushkarvar Dweep’s Purva Mahavideh Kshetra.

King Padmottar was very kind and compassionate. He spent a lot of time in religion and spiritual practices and always remained in the awareness that when would my karma of renouncing the world unfold, when would I be liberated from all of this. Day and night, in his thoughts, only one thing would go on, “I want to be free from the bondage of the worldly life.” The worldly life seemed like a bondage to him. “When do I get liberated, when do I renounce the world, when do I go to Moksha!”—this intent used to remain always!

The worldly life is a bondage—when this comes into one’s experience, it is said to be a very big awareness! Because generally, if we see, one never realizes that this world is a bondage. Due to the veils of illusory attachment, unconsciously, one likes everything. Really, not a single thing can give us permanent happiness. The world is a bondage; when that experience arises, only thereafter, the spiritual readiness is said to have happened, and only then, one is said to have become desperate to get liberated from the world.

King Padmottar, with everybody’s permission, took Diksha. Thereupon, he did great devotional worship. With the worship of the vees Sthanaks, he bound the Tirthankara gotra.

After completing the lifespan, King Padmottar’s next birth happened in the tenth heaven. Despite the bountiful pleasures and luxuries in the heaven, due to the right vision (Samkit) that King Padmottar had, he never got involved in any materialistic happiness. The Samkiti celestial beings (those with the right vision) are seen experiencing the happiness externally, but internally they do not enjoy (indulge into) those pleasures; they remain detached from them. They are always in the bliss of the Soul only.

Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan – Birth, Keval Gnan, Deshna

After completing the lifespan in the tenth heaven, Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan’s birth took place in the Bhaddilpur Nagri, located in the country of Bhaarat (India) in the Bharat Kshetra, at King Dridhratha and Queen Nanda’s place.

When Lord Sheetalnath was in the womb of His mother, once His father, King Dridhratha, had a high fever. The fever was almost fatal. Due to fever, he was experiencing tremendous pain; in his entire body—in eyes, forehead, stomach, everywhere—there was an acute burning sensation. Just then, Queen Nanda, in whose womb resided the Tirthankara Bhagwan, touched King Dridhratha with her hands, and with that touch, the entire burning sensation was gone from his body. His whole body became cold and soothing. Due to this event, when Lord’s birth happened, He was named ‘Sheetalnath’.

In course of time, Lord Sheetalnath got married. Later, He took Diksha and soon attained Keval Gnan. Upon attaining Keval Gnan, the Lord started giving Deshna. Listening to His Deshna, many people took Diksha from Him. Depending on the country and time, the Tirthankara Lord’s Deshna happens.

Deshna - Samvar Bhavna

Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan’s Deshna on ‘Samvar bhaavna’ is very beautifully praised.

Samvar means we seal the very place where new karmas are bound. Samvar happens when one comes in the awareness that does not let new karma bind. Samvar are of two types:

• Dravya Samvar
• Bhaav Samvar

Dravya means in gross, while Bhaav is in subtle. Where any external activity has to be done, there is ego. In doing an activity, there is ego, and in not doing also there is ego.

For example, “I don’t want to do this”—here also there is ego and “I want to do this”—here also comes the ego. In both the cases, there is ego, but against a harmful ego (one doing bad karma), a good ego (one doing good karma) is cultivated to escape from the bad and come to the good, which means to stop the bad karma and to bind the good karma! This is how, on the kramic path, one gradually progresses step-by-step. While progressing so, the internal awareness of the Soul comes, which gives rise to Bhaav Samvar. Bhaav Samvar means it does not allow binding of any new karma; it stops from within itself.

Let’s understand Dravya Samvar and Bhaav Samvar with the help of an example of anger, pride, deceit and greed.

• In Dravya Samvar, vis-a-vis anger, one practices forgiveness; whereas, in Bhaav Samvar, forgiveness happens naturally; one doesn’t have to forgive. Anger does not touch the one with Bhaav Samvar at all.
• In Dravya Samvar, vis-a-vis the false pride (maan), there is humbleness. So, when someone gives respect, one becomes very humble, assumes smallest stature and a state deprived of pride arises. Owing to the virtue of humbleness, the person is saved from the passion of false pride. All of these are external solutions. When Bhaav Samvar happens, no matter how much respect one gives, it doesn’t touch at all.
• In Dravya Samvar, vis-a-vis deceit, one maintains straightforwardness. As much straightforwardness shall be there, that much deceit shall keep moving away; it shall keep shedding off. In case of Bhaav Samvar, the passion of deceit does not touch at all, inside.
• Vis-a-vis greed, in Dravya Samvar, there is non-acquisitiveness. In greed, one keeps accumulating everything saying, “It is mine! It is mine!”, whereas, against that, while practicing non-acquisitiveness, one says, “Nothing is mine!”; one keeps leaving everything for the sake of others. In Bhaav-Samvar, there is a non-desirous state. “I do not want any material thing in this world!”—that remains constantly in one’s intent. Hence, the passion of greed does not arise at all. Therefore, nothing at all touches internally. Irrespective of whether one has money, luxuries, cars, bungalows, etc. in abundance, one never feels that these things belong to him. One keeps experiencing “I am Pure Soul” only all the time and is enjoying one’s own bliss of the Soul, one’s own wealth of liberation; one is completely non-inclined (towards the materialistic things). Gnanis are totally inclined towards the Soul, and for materialistic things, they are not inclined at all! Therefore, Gnanis are Saspruha-nispruha (inclined-not inclined). Every karma of Gnani is a divine karma because all karmas are subservient to him.

Nirvana

Shree Sheetalnath Bhagwan had 81 Ganadhars (chief disciples of a Tirthankara). Millions of Sadhu-Sadhvis took Diksha from the Lord. Lord Sheetalnath attained Nirvana from the Samet Shikharji Mountain.