History of India-bc1

Indian History BC-1 - Jain Dharm

India has a continuous civilization since 2500 BC. During the 2nd millennium, Aryan speaking tribes migrated from northwest into the Indian subcontinent. [Text in green is my comments]

From "The Aangirasa Dictionary of the Hindoo Religion and Culture", by Aangiras Muni. 1999.

In Jain Dharm there were 24 Teerthankars. Teerthankar is a man who has enlightenment through asceticism. A Teerthankar becomes a Jeen after conquering his desires, anger, pride etc. He is able to found a Teerth also. Popularly known it was founded by Mahaaveer Jee. He was a Prince who left his royal home to become an ascetic. He is believed to have received enlightenment after 12 years of rigorous hardship, penance and meditation. Then he preached for 30 years, stopping only in rainy season. He died at the age of 72 in 527 BC. His deat was commemorated by a special lamp festival in Bihaar, which Jains claim is the basis of now-common Hindoo festival of Deepaavalee.

Jain Teerthankar
23rd Teerthankar - Paarshwanaath or Paarasnaath - (860-760 BC). Many scholars are inclined to think that Paarshwanaath was the founder of the Jain religion, which was further refined and redefined by the 24th, the last one, and the greatest Teerthankar Mahaaveer Jee.

24rth Teerthankar (the Last one)
Mahaaveer - (540-468 BC) Who is considered the founder of Jain Dharm.

According to Jain Dharm followers Rishabh Dev was the 1st Teerthankar of the 24 Teerthankars of their Dharm of the present age (Avasarpini). He is known as Aadinaath, Rishabhnaath, Rushabh, Rushabhdev, or Aadeeshwar. That is why he is called Aadinaath also.

Rishabh was born to a King, King Naabhi Raajaa and Queen Maru Devee at Ayodhyaa, in Ikshwaaku Vansh. Rishabh has been mentioned as one of Vishnu's Avataar in Bhaagvat Puraan. (According to Bhaagvat Puraan, 5/2, Brahmaa -> Manu -> Uttaanpaad and Priyavrat -> Priyavrat had 10 sons, among them one was Aagneedhra. Aagneedhra had nine sons -> Naabhi etc. Naabhi had a son named Rishabh who was the incarnation of Vishnu.)

According to Jains, Rishabh thus existed even before civilization. He had 101 sons. His eldest son Bharat was a Chakravartee king. Since he had become a Siddh, he is occasionally worshipped. According to Jains, this India was named after his son Bharat, Bhaarat or Bhaarat Varsh. His second son was Baahubalee, his statue is still standing at Shravanbelaagolaa, Karnaatak. His grandson Mareechi's soul later became Mahaaveer. His long hair has been referred to as Ravishen in Padm Puraan and Bhaagvat Puraan also mentions his long hair. Jain scripts mention his height as several hundred kilometers which seems unbelievable.

Jain Beliefs

According to Jainism, there is no beginning or ending of time. It moves like a wheel of a cart. At the beginning of the 21st century we are 2,530 years into the 5th era of the present half cycle. 24 Teerthankars are born in each half cycle of time (48 in full cycle of time). Rishabh Dev was the first Teerthankar and he got Nirvaan towards the end of the 3rd era. The 24th and the ;last Teerthankar was Mahaaveer Swaamee (599-527 BC) was a historically truth. Digambar believe that was all Teerthankars were man but Shwetaambar believe that their 19th Teerthankar Mallee Naath was a woman. The next Teerthankar, in our part of the world, will be born at the beginning of the 3rd era of the next ascending half cycle time - in approximately in 81,500 years time. Jains do not believe in God or gods as creators, but they believe that gods are superior to human beings.

Teerthankars are depicted in sitting position, cross-legged, toes of one foot resting close upon the knee of the other, and the right hand lying over the left in the lap. Only two are represented differently - the 7th one Supaarshwa and the 23rd one Paarshwanaath. Digambar represent quite nude, while Shwetaambar depict clothed and decorated with crowns and ornaments. All but two come from Ikashwaaku family - those two are Munisuvrat, the 20th one, and Neminaath, the 22nd one were of the Harivansh race. [for a detailed description see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirthankar

SN	Name	Height	Age
1	Rishabh	500 Dhanush	8,400,000 Poorv years
2	Ajitnaath	450 Dhanush	7,200,000 --
3	Sambhavnaath	400 Dhanush	6,000,000 --
4	Abhinandannaath	350 Dhanush	5,000,000 --
5	Sumatinaath	300 Dhanush	4,000,000 --
6	Padmprabhaa	250 Dhanush	3,000,000 --
7	Supaarshwanaath	200 Dhanush	2,000,000 --
8	Chandraprabhaa	150 Dhanush	1,000,000 --
9	Pushpdant	100 Dhanush	200,000 --
10	Sheetalnaath	90 Dhanush	100,000 --
11	Shreyansnaath	80 Dhanush	8,400,000 Common years
12	Vasupoojya	70 Dhanush	7,200,000 --
13	Vimalnaath	60 Dhanush	6,000,000 --
14	Anantnaath	50 Dhanush	3,000,000 --
15	Dharmnaath	45 Dhanush	1,000,000 --
16	Shaantinaath	40 Dhanush	100,000 --
17	Kuntunaath	35 Dhanush	95,000 --
18	Aranaath	30 Dhanush	84,000 --
19	Malleenaath	25 Dhanush	55,000 --
20	Munisuvrat	20 Dhanush	30,000 --
21	Naminaath	15 Dhanush	10,000 --
22	Neminaath	10 Dhanush	1,000 --
23	Paarshwanaath or Paarasnaath	9 hands/cubits	100 --
24	Mahaaveer	7 hands/cubits	72 --

If we do not know the length of Poorv years (great years), at least we know the length of common years (human years). We can easily guess that how old is this Jain Dharm. Dhanush is 6 feet long, so if somebody is 500 Dhanush tall, it means his height is 3,000 feet. In the same way 1 hand is equal to 18", it means if Mahaaveer was 7 hands tall, it means he was 126" = 10 1/2' tall. Mahaaveer's height doesn't seem so impossible as, in those days, people were very tall. See Chaanakya.

There are many Jain Temples in Mount Aaboo, Raajasthaan

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