Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Twenty-Four Tirthankaras and Their Activities and Teachings
the tirthankaras but these are in no way acceptable except the last two, as authentic. For example, Rṣabha, the first tirthankara is believed to have lived for 8,400,000 years (one purva year is considered to be equivalent to 70,560,000,000 years); twenty-second tirthankara, Nemi, for 1000 years; the twenty-third, Pärśvanatha, for 100 years and the last one, Mahavira, for 72 years.10
An outline of the biographies of some of the tirthankaras would be presented with adequate consideration from the outlook of history.
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ṚSABHANATHA
Rṣabhanatha, also known as Adinatha, is said to be the first tirthankara of the present era. In his previous birth he was a god in Sarvärthasiddhi (a celestial world), and was conceived by Merudevi, the wife of Nabhi, the seventh kulakara (the patriarchs).11 This epoch as well as his birth were celebrated by gods with eclat, and equally so were his marriage and coronation. He was married to Sumangalā, his own twin sister and Sunanda whose brother (born as a twin) had died in childhood.12 The Jaina text mentions his hundred sons including Bharata.13 It is believed that he renounced his kingdom in favour of his sons and embraced the life of an ascetic. He is credited to have taught seventy two arts (bavattarim kalao) to men and sixty-four to women. The beginnings of human civilisation are associated with him.14 The Vedas 5 and the Purāṇas also speak of him. Rṣabha, king of Kośala, after deep and prolonged meditation received the highest knowledge called kevala.
He had an excellent community of 84,000 śramaņas, 300,000 nuns and other lay votaries. It is recorded in the Avaśyakaniryukti17, a work written after the first century AD, that Ṛṣabha in course of his wanderings visited countries like Jonaga and Suvanṇabhūmi. He like Mahavira had to suffer a lot in the hands of people,18 while he visited the places like Konka, Venka, Kutaka and south Karṇātaka.19
A reference to a king of Ayodhya named Rṣabha is found in the Rāmāyaṇa.20 It is indeed tempting to identify this Rṣabha with the first Jaina tirthankara since both are connected with Ayodhya. But it will be hazardous to draw any conclusion in this regard depend