Jain Vidya Ke Vividh Aayam

Author(s): Fulchandra Jain
Publisher: Gommateshwar Bahubali Swami Mahamastakabhishek Mahotsav Samiti

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Bhagwan Adinath Cult in Andhra - Dr. G. Jawahar Lal, Rajahmundry (A.P.) Jainism is a living religion in India and it was profounded by 24 Tirthankaras among whom Rishabhanatha was the earliest and Mahavira the last one. In Jainism, the Tirthankaras have been given the highest position. Most of the Tirthankaras are Kshatriyas and belonged to royal families. They also attained enlightenment by performing austerities and practicised the law of Piety. Almost all the Tirthankaras have been the subjects of many Charita and purana books in Jaina literature. In the verse of Rigveda, Rishabha has been mentioned as a king and bestower of wealth (Rigveda, 1.23.177). Details of Adinatha or Rishabhanatha history are preserved in the Adipurana of the Digambaras, the Kalpasutras and Hemachandra's Trishasti-Salaka-Purusha Charitra. Adinatha was born to Nabiraja and Marudevi, the king and queen of Ayodhya. One day the court dancer, Nilanjana displayed his dance, she fell down and died also. Realising the ephemeral nature of mundana life, Adinatha took to asceticism and got enlightenment. Finally, he attained parinirvana on the summit of Ashtapada or Kailasa mountain. Moreover, Andhra is associated with the life of Adinaths's son, Bahubali. Podana, the present Bodhana in Nizamabad district of Andhra, appears to have been a Jaina-tirtha in very early times. It is referred to in the Jain literature as the capital of Bahubali. It is thus stated in one of the Sravana-Belgola Inscriptions that the Emperor Bharata, the elder son of Purudeva made an image of Bahubali, 525 bows high. Actually, It provoked Chamundaraya to make a replica of Gommateswara of Bodhan and installed it at Sravana-Belgola. No doubt, Bhagawan Adinatha's worship in Andhra goes to early times. Several Adinatha sculptures and temples have been noticed in recent years in different parts of Andhra. Most of the scholars may not know that the earliest Jaina image found so far, in Andhra, belongs to Adinatha. While the earliest known sculptural image in the North, is the statue of standing Parsvanath, now preserved in the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay; in Andhra, the earliest Jaina-image of Adinathaswamy found in Perali village, Karlapalem of Guntur District. The pedestal of Jaina image contains a label inscription of 4th-5th century characters. -21