Jain Center of America NY 2005 06 Pratishtha

Author(s): Jain Center of America NY
Publisher: USA Jain Center America NY

Page 116

Parshvanath: Parshvanath was the twenty-third tirthankar of our time.
He was born in 879 BC as Parshva, the son of King Ashvasen and Queen Vamadevi of Varanasi, in what is now Meerut, India. He was raised near the banks of the river Ganga and had access to all of the material comforts of life.
He was raised as a royal, but his reputation as a fierce warrior was eclipsed by his scholarly esteem. In time he became an admirer of Neminath, and soon followed his path to diksha, keval gnan and eventually nirvana in 777 BC.
Parshvanath's insignia is the snake, thanks to a pair of very famous incidents. While she was pregnant him, Parshva's mother saved his father from a snake in the dark of night, so the parents decided to name their son Parshva in memory of that night. Later on in his life when he was a teenaged Prince, Parshva came across a religious ceremony in a kingdom village whereby a local priest sacrificed a pair of serpents in a ceremonial fire. This shook the Prince. He decided to act against the direction of his advisors, and to the dismay of the priest, by trying to save the burning snakes. He removed them from the flames and placed them gently on the ground and softly recited the Navkar Mantra with the hopes of healing them. As those snakes took their last breaths, the Prince lost the will to continue life in royalty.
He took diksha and became an ascetic, and resolved to spend the rest of his life in search of his soul, He observed a disciplined program of meditation through harsh climates and physical threats, but he never lost his concentration or will to continue. Through it all he was protected by the souls of the snakes he had tried to save decades earlier. The statue that commemorates his life now bears the image of those thankful devotees.
Simandhar swami: Simandhar swami is a current tirthankar in Mahavideh Kshetra. Simandhar swami was born to royal privilege as the son of King Shreyans and Queen Satyaki at the time of our Kunthunath in a distant dimension known only as Mahavideh Kshetra. He renounced the world around the time of Munisuvrat Swami and after many years as an ascetic attained keval gnan. He is now tens of thousands of years old and is expected to live much longer until he ultimately attains nirvana some time in the distant future.
Until that time arrives, he works today like tirthankars past to advance the message of ahimsa, and to bring all living beings closer to the truth and to their souls. We honor his mission and follow his lead so that we may, one day, join him in that far away land and free our own souls.
Gautamswami: Gautamswami was a student of Mahavir.
He was famous for his intelligence and devotion to his teacher, so much so that some say that his passion clouded his soul. Soon after Mahavir left his natural body and attained nirvana, Gautam suffered and grieved much. It was only after this grieving that he understood the ills of his attachment to the human form of his teacher's soul. Soon after he finally realized keval gnan, and eventually reached nirvana.
Ghantakarna: Ghantakarna is the spirit of a former king and fierce warrior who used his military expertise and weaponry to protect people of faith and to defend the helpless. He is worshipped by those who seek his help and protection, and by those who hope to follow in his example.
Manibhadra: Manibhadra was a very powerful monarch who was also intensely spiritual. He was known to conduct his business from his airavat, and so his face is often depicted to look like an elephant. He is a very popular deity and his soul is revered by those who seek his help to make miracles come true.
Nakoda Bhairav: Nakoda Bhairav is a deity who is symbolically installed at the entrance of the place of worship to arouse positive emotions from visitors and worshippers.
Saraswati: Saraswatidevi is the patron goddess of knowledge. In her hands she holds a book, a sitar and a rosary as symbols of knowledge, practice, and spirituality.
Laxmi: Laxmidevi is the patron goddess of wealth. In her hands she holds a lotus, an elephant, a vase, and gold as symbols of prosperity and power.
Padmavati: Padmavatidevi is the patron goddess of Parshvanath, and is charged with the responsibility of carrying forth his spiritual message.
Rushabhdev: Rushabhdev was the first tirthankar of our time.
He was born as Rushabh, the son of King Nabhi Kulkar and Queen Marudevi in what is now the city of
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