Jain Journal 2001 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 41

RȘABHADEVA
SATYA RANJAN BANERJEE Adinātha or Rsabhadeva occupies a unique position in the annals of Jaina Hagiology. He was the first Tirthankara and possessed perfect knowledge (kevala-jñāna). According to the tradition there were no less than 84,000 Prakırnakas of each one of the pupils of Rşabha. The name Rsabha is found in the Rgveda (III. 13, 14, IX. 71). There it is said that Rsabha is the son of Viśvāmitra (Rsabha VaišvāmitraVisvāmitraputrah Rsabhah rsih). In another context of the Rgveda (X. 166) he is called Vairāja or sākvara (Rşabha vairājo vā Rşabhaḥ Sākvarah). We do not know anything more than this about Vedic Rsabha. Sāyana in the 14th cent. A.D. could not supply us any more information about Rsabha. However, at a later time in the Lankavatārasūtra (Ch. X), the name Rşabha is mentioned along with Vyāsa, Kaņāda, Kapila and others.
Rşabhadeval or Rşabhanātha, also called Ādinātha, was the son of king Nabhi and Queen Marudevī of the Iksāku race. He is variously called as Vrsabhanātha, Adiśvara, Yugadijina, Yugadisā, Nabhaya and Kausalika. He is also called Marudeva as the son of Marudevī. As he is the first in Jaina Hagiology, he is probably called Adinātha or Adiśvara; as he has the bull (ursabha) as his cinha or cognizance, he is called Vrsabha. Rsabhanātha is a varriant of Rsabhadeva. Other names are mostly honorific. He is mostly adorned by the names of Adinātha and Rşabhadeva in later literature and Jain temples. He is represented as of golden or yellow complexion and the bull for his cognizance. In Somadeva's Yaśastilaka (10th cent. A.D.) “there are representations of most of the dreams of Rsabha Jina's mother, e.g., the Airāvata elephant, a bull, a lion, the goddess Laksmī, the sun and the moon, a lotus pool, the ocean, flames, a heap of jewels, and an aerial car" (samnihitairāvatā.....āsīna-saurabheyā....nilinopakanthakanthiravā...ramopa-sobhitā.. etc.)2. According to the commentator of Kalpa-sūtra, he was born at Vinitā (i.e. Ayodhyā) in the country of Kosala towards the end of the dvāpara age. Some say he was born in Kashmir.3
1. 2.
James Burgess, The Temples of Satruñjaya, Jain Bhawan, Calcutta, 1977, p. 5. K.K. Handique, Yaśastilaka and Indian Culture, Sholhapur, 1949, p. 121. Burgess, ibid., p.5
3.