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Jaina Tirthamkaras and antiquity of Jainism
attained mokṣa in the käyotsarga posture339 on Samet Sikhara. 340
Malli - the nineteenth tirthamkara
According to the Svetāmbara tradition, Malli, the nineteenth tīrthamkara, was a woman.341 But according to the Digmbara tradition, Malli was a male. 342 The Digambaras hold that a woman cannot achieve mokṣa and they name this tīrthamkara as Mallinātha.343 The Digambara view seems to have been accepted in iconography because the images of Malli do not have feminine features.344 According to the Svetāmbara tradition, Malli remained celibate and attained kaivalya on the day of her consecration itself. 345 Mallinātha's father Kumbha was the king of Mithilā and his mother's name was Prabhāvatī.346 According to the Jaina tradition, Malli descended for incarnation from the heaven Jayantadevaloka.347
According to the Jaina tradition, Mallinātha's height was 25 poles and he lived for 55,000 common years.348 His complexion has been described as blue.349 Malli became a kevalin under an asoka tree.350 His first ganadhara and āryā were Abhiksaka and Bandhumati respectively.351 He attained moksa in the kāyotsarga posture 352 on Samet Sikhara.353
339. OISJ, p. 66. 340. JAA, I, p. 15. 341. Ibid., p. 15 fn. 1; JPV, p. 113; TSPC, IV, pp. 54-5. 342. Ibid., p. 16 fn; Ibid., p. 113. 343. Ibid., ibid. 344. JI, p. 77. 345. JPV, p. 113. 346. Ibid.; TSPC, IV, pp. 53-4. 347. OISJ, pp. 66-70. 348. Ibid. 349. ERE, VII, p. 466. 350. OISJ, pp. 66-70. 351. Ibid. 352. Ibid., p. 66. 353. JAA, I, p. 15; TSPC, IV, p. 71.
