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SIXTY THREE SALĀKĀPURUSA
It is necessary to know about the sixty-three Salākā Purusa (towering personalities or great men) before we proceed to the introduction of Tirthankaras. In the post Kulakara period (see chapter 6) there have been sixty-three great men who equipped us with the capacity to discern between good and bad through their conduct and religious discourses during the age of endeavour (Karmabhūmi). These are called Salākā Purușa or unique individuals. The progress of social consciousness and establishment of the Jain religious order is affected by these highly endowed individuals. Jain mythology mainly contains the biographies of these individuals. These sixty-three great men include twenty four Tirthankaras, twelve Cakravartis, nine Nārāyaņas, nine Balabhadras, and nine Pratinārāyaņas. There names are as follows --
24 Tīrthařkaras -- 1. Rşabhadeva, 2. Ajita Nātha, 3. Sambhava Nātha, 4. Abhinandana, 5. Sumati Nātha, 6. Padmaprabha, 7. Supārsva Nātha, 8. Candraprabha, 9. Puspadanta, 10. Śitala Nātha, 11. Sreyānsa Nātha, 12. Vāsupūjya, 13. Vimala Nātha, 14. Ananta Nātha, 15. Dharma Nātha, 16. Šānti Nātha, 17. Kunthu Nātha, 18. Ara Nātha, 19. Malli Nātha, 20. Munisuvrata Nātha, 21. Nami Nātha, 22. Nemi Nātha, 23. Pārsva Nātha, and 24. Mahāvīra.
12 Cakravartīs -- 1. Bharata, 2. Sagara, 3. Madhavā, 4. Sanatkumāra, 5. Šānti Nātha, 6. Kunthu, 7. Ara, 8. Subhauma, 9. Padma, 10. Harisena, 11. Jayasena, 12. Brahmadatta.
9 Nārāyaṇas -- 1. Triprsta, 2. Dviprsta, 3. Svayambhū 4. Purusottama, 5. Purusasimha, 6. Puruşa Puņdarīka, 7. Datta, 8. Laxmaņa, 9. Krşņa.
9 Pratinārāyanas -- 1. Ašvagrīva, 2. Tāraka, 3. Meraka, 4. Madhu, 5. Nisambhu, 6. Bali, 7. Prahlāda, 8. Rāvana, 9. Jarāsandha.
9 Balabhadras -- 1. Acala, 2. Vijaya, 3. Bhadra, 4. Suprabha, 5. Sudarśana, 6. Ānanda, 7. Nandana, 8. Rāma, 9. Balarāma.
These sixty-three great men are our sixty-three links to Jain history. In the non-Jain historical (including traditional history)
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