Sudha Sagar Hindi English Jaina Dictionary

Author(s): Rameshchandra Jain
Publisher: Gyansagar Vagarth Vimarsh Kendra Byavar

Page 150

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the things of the universe, past, present 12. Vasūpujya, 13. Vimalanātha, and future with all their qualities, modes 14. Anantanātba, 15. Dharmanātha, or aspects. The jaina tradition believes
16. Santinātha, 17. Kunthunātha, that there have been and there shall be infinite cycles of time on this planet.
18. Aranātha, 19. Mallinātha, Each cycle has two parts: one descend
20. Munisuvratanātha, 21. Naminātha, ing and other ascending. These are so
22. Neminātha, 23. Parsvanātha, called, because there is, during its 24. Mahāvira. course, a continuous deterioration, ame- AHRT darit en mitefan # 3TR - lioration in all substances - including
(The difference between theordinary the physical, mental and spiritual as
omniscient and a Tirtham-kara) - pects of human life; as well as the mnunilicence and bounty of the natural
The difference between the ordinary wealth of this planet.
omniscient and a Tirthařkara is this Each such half cycle is divided into six
that the latter can reveal and preach the parts called aras, which are of varying
truth and found a religious community time lengths. The length of each cycle while the former can not. The worldly is far greater than what can be counted
career of a soul destined to be a by the scale of numbers of years. Tirthamkara is purer and much more It is during the fourth Ara of every elevated than that of an ordinary soul descending half cycle and the third Ara destined to be emancipated. The of every ascending halfcycle that twenty
Tirthamkarais a spiritual leader andan four Tirthamkaras reach omniseience inspirer and a founder or reviver of a and then, they re-establish the religion religion which is destined to last for an Catef).Lord Mahāvīrais, for the Jains, appreciable period of time. The worldly : the twenty fourth and hence the last , existence is beginningless and there bas
been an infinite number of cycles of Tirthařkara of the latest descending
creation, and it is held that the first half-cycle, whose fourth eraended some
founder of culture and civilization of 2522 years ago. He was of course, preceded by, and shall be followed by
each cycle is the first Tirthamkara of an infinite such Tirthamkaras, during that cycle. It is only the Tirthařkara the course of the infimite time cycles.
who can reveal the truth and inspire the
masses - This is Jaina conception of 24 Tirthamkaras - (24 titeta)
Godhood.
S.J.P. 268-269 Tirthamkaras of the present era are 24
mitet att e – (Tirthamkara in number. These are - 1. R sabbadeva, 2 Ajitanātha,
Dharmanātha) - Sri Dharmanātha, the 3. Sambhavanātha, 4. Abhinandana fifteenth Tirthamkara, was born in nātha, 5. Sumati nātha,
Ratnapur i (modern Raunahi)in district 6. Padmaprabha, 7. Supāsva nātha, Faizabad Uttara Pradesha, some miles 8. Candraprabha, 9. Puspadanta, west of Ayodhyā. The name of his 10. Šitalanātha: 11. Śrevānsanātha. mother was Suvratā and that of his