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तीर्थकर पार्श्वनाथ
When Parshvanatha was thirty years old, Jayasena, King of Ayodhya, sent a messenger to him with many royal gifts.. The messanger descsribed Rishabha Thirthankara as also the city of Ayodhya ruled by him. After listening to the description, Parshvanatha learnt his bhavaparampara with his avadhijnana. He took to sanyasa immediately and had his keshalochana performed by panchmushtis. It was followed by a rigorous penance. During his penance one day, Shambaradeva, his foe in his previous birth, caused him numerous upasargas. Shambaradeva pushed a mountain over his head. Dharanendra yaksha learnt about this upasarga with his avadhijnana and appeared in the form of a hooded naga and shielded Parshvanatha. In the meanwhile, his wife Padmavathi yakshi stood by Parshavnath's side with a diamond umbrella over his head. This was how the yaksha couple showed their gratitude to Parshvanatha.from whose presence they had drawn comfort before their death in their previous birth. Parshvanatha attained kevalajnana even as his tormentor, Shambaradeva felt repentant and did obeisance to him. Seven hundred ascetics who were living in that forest gave up their mithyathva and did obeisance to Parshyanatha as samyagdrishits. Parshvanatha preached Jaina doctrines for seventy years and attained nirvana in Sammedagiri. .:.
Considering the lineage of the two Thirthankaras, we find from Uttara Purana that Suparshva belongs to Rishabha Thirthankara's Ikshwaku lineage, while Parshva belongs to lineage. However, Maghanandi's Shastrasara Samuchchaya includes Suparshva in the Ugra dynastys. Since there is no dispute about the Ugra lineage of Parshvanatha, it can be safely assumed that Suparshva also belonged to the same lineage. Another pertinent fact in support of this assumption is that both Suparshva and Parshva belonged to Kashi and hooded nagas are found overhead in all their images.
