Pushpadanta

Pushpadanta
9th Jain Tirthankara
Idol of Tirthankar Suvidhinath at Kakandi Tirth
Other names	Suvidhinatha
Venerated in	Jainism
Predecessor	Chandraprabha
Successor	Shitalanatha
Symbol	Crocodile
Height	100 bows (300 meters)
Age	200,000 purva (14.112 quintillion years)
Color	White
Genealogy
Born	Khukhundoo, Deoria
Died	Shikharji
Parents	Sugriva (father) Rama (Supriya) (mother)
Dynasty	Ikṣvākuvaṁśa

In Jainism, Pushpadanta (Template:Langx), also known as Suvidhinatha, was the ninth Tirthankara of the present age (Avasarpini). According to Jain belief, he became a siddha and an arihant, a liberated soul that has destroyed all of its karma.

Life and legends

According to Jain tradition, Pushpadanta (also widely known as Suvidhinatha) is venerated as the ninth of the present cosmic age (). Jain universal history states that he was born into the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty to King Sugriva and Queen Rama in the city of Kakandi, which is identified with modern-day Khukhundoo in Uttar Pradesh. His birth is traditionally observed on the fifth day of the month of the lunisolar Jain calendar. Within the expansive framework of Jain cosmology, texts attribute to him a symbolic lifespan of 200,000 and a physical height of 100 bows (dhanushas).

A significant theological milestone attributed to Pushpadanta in Jain narratives is his re-establishment of the four-part monastic order () originally founded by Rishabhanatha. After ruling his kingdom, traditional accounts describe him renouncing worldly attachments to become an ascetic, eventually attaining omniscience (). Following his period of preaching, he ultimately achieved liberation from the cycle of rebirth () on the sacred peaks of Mount Shikharji in modern-day Jharkhand.

Pushpadanta is said to have been born 90 after his predecessor, Chandraprabha. His successor, Shitalanatha, is said to have been born 9 after him.

Iconography

In Jain art and sculpture, Pushpadanta is traditionally depicted in a meditative posture and is distinctly identified by his white physical complexion. He is explicitly recognized by his unique iconographic emblem, the crocodile or alligator (), which is typically carved or stamped onto the pedestal beneath his idols. As with all , he is depicted alongside his dedicated guardian deities (). According to both the and traditions, his accompanying male guardian deity () is Ajita. However, sectarian texts differ regarding his female guardian (), with the sect identifying her as Mahakali and the sect identifying her as Sutaraka (or Sutari).

Temples and legacy

As the ninth , Pushpadanta is venerated across the Indian subcontinent. The ancient site of Kakandi (modern Khukhundoo in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh), traditionally identified in Jain universal history as his royal birthplace, serves as a significant historical and geographic center for his worship. The Kakandi Jain Tirth remains an important pilgrimage destination that commemorates his early life and renunciation. Furthermore, marking the geographic site of his ultimate spiritual liberation, a dedicated shrine () enshrining his footprints () is actively venerated by pilgrims on the peaks of Mount Shikharji.

See also

• God in Jainism
• Jainism and non-creationism

References

Sources

• Cort, John E. (2001a), Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-513234-2
• Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-26605-X
• Finegan, Jack (1952), The archeology of world religions, Princeton University Press
• Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
• Shah, Natubhai (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1938-1
• Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: Jaina iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 81-7017-208-X
• Tandon, Om Prakash (2002) [1968], Jaina Shrines in India (1 ed.), New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, ISBN 81-230-1013-3
• Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998), Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6
• Tukol, T. K. (1980), Compendium of Jainism, Dharwad: University of Karnataka
• Wiley, Kristi L. (2009) [1949], The A to Z of Jainism, vol. 38, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0-8108-6337-8

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