Rishabhanatha

Rishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), also known as Rishabhadeva (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव, Ṛṣabhadeva), Rishabha (Devanagari: ऋषभ, Ṛṣabha) or Ikshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु, Ikṣvāku), is the legendary first tirthankara (Supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology and is called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. He was the spiritual successor of Sampratti Bhagwan, the last Tirthankara of the previous time cycle. He is also known as Ādinātha (lit. 'first Lord'), as well as Aadishvara (first Jina), Yugadideva (first deva of the yuga), Prathamarajeshwara (first God-king) and Nabheya (son of Nabhi). He is also known as Ikshvaku, establisher of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Shantinatha, Hinduism’s Bhagavata Purana reveres him as an avatar of Vishnu. Jains consider him as an entirely distinct, fully enlightened human being who attained salvation. Rishabhanatha is one of the five Tirthankaras that attract the most devotional worship among the Jains. According to traditional accounts, many millions of years ago he was born to king Nabhi and queen Marudevi in the north Indian city of Ayodhya, also called Vinita. He had two wives, Sumangalā and Sunandā. Sumangalā is described as the mother of his ninety-nine sons (including Bharata) and one daughter, Brahmi. Sunandā is depicted as the mother of Bahubali and Sundari. The sudden death of Nilanjana, one of the dancers sent by Indra in his courtroom, reminded him of the world's transitory nature, and he developed a desire for renunciation. After his renunciation, the legends as described in major Jain texts such as Hemachandra's Trishashti-Shalakapurusha-Charitra and Adinathcharitra written by Acharya Vardhamansuri states that Rishabhanatha travelled without food for 400 days. The day on which he got his first ahara (food) is celebrated by Jains...