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Hindu Gods
Hindus believe in one Supreme Godhead called Brahman who is impersonal without form, shape or
attributes, who is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He transcends time and space and he can
be worshipped as the Supreme consciousness or Paramatma, as Light or Love. When God is viewed as
a Personal Being he is called variously as Iswara or Bhagawan. He manifests as an image or Murti, idol
or icon, which is viewed as a personification of Divinity. God is invoked through mantras, rituals,
chants, Pujas, bhajans, songs etc, in short anything that lets a devotee tune in to thoughts of divinity
and helps him focus his mind on Hindu Gods. He is worshipped out of love not fear. This is the most
unique aspect of Hinduism. His glory cannot be fathomed though we get glimpses through the
outpourings of His saints and devotees. Thus a personal god helps a worshipper to easily comprehend
and connect with the otherwise inscrutable, incomprehensible Supreme.

Jain Tirthankars
In Jainism, Tirthankaras are human beings who have destroyed all their Ghati(destructive) karmas and
become leaders and spiritual role models for those seeking salvation. They are entirely free of desires,
passions and dwell exclusively within their soul. Due to their high degree of purity and spiritual
advancement, they have unlimited powers which they use solely for the spiritual upliftment of mankind.
At the end of their life span the Tirthankar becomes a Siddha ending the cycles of birth and death. Time
or Kaal is beginningless and endless according to Jain philosophy. In each half cycle of time, 24
Tirthankaras are born. Thus in every time cycle 48 Tirthankaras are born in two batches of 24. The
previous lives of Tirthankars were usually royalty as recorded in Jain tradition and their clan was
usually recorded in legendary Hindu history.

Sambhavnath-Birth and Childhood
Sambhavnath in his previous birth was King Vipulvahan who ruled Kshempuri in the Airavat area of
Mahavideh for a long time after the Nirvana of Bhagavan Ajitnath. He loved and cared for his subjects
and was a compassionate and kind hearted ruler. Once during a drought in the kingdom there was no
food and water so the King opened up his granaries for the people and used the money from his
treasury to import food grains. He used his kitchen to feed all the monks and ascetics and was
determined that none would be sent hungry advising his caretakers in the kitchen to see that no one
who approached them were turned away.

Padmaprabh The 6th Tirthankar
Padmaprabh in his earlier incarnation was King
Aparajit who ruled over Susima town in the
Purva Videha area. He was a pious and peace
loving person. Once listening to a discourse on
the goal of human life and its earthly bondage he
became detached and taking diksha from
Acharya Pihitashrava embraced ascetism. His
soul through countless lifetimes had undergone
rigorous spiritual penances and achieved an
exalted state of enlightenment hence he was
reborn as the next Tirthankar. His soul
descended into the womb of Queen Sushima, wife
of King Dharan of Kaushambi. During her
pregnancy, the Queen had a desire to sleep on a
bed made up of lotus flowers.

Suparshvanath 7TH Tirthankar
Suparshvanath in his earlier incarnation was King Nandisen of Kshetrapuri. He was highly spiritually
enlightened and due to his rigorous penances and disciplines he was reborn as a Tirthankar. His soul
entered the womb of Queen Prithvi Devi, wife of king Pratishthasen of Varanasi. It is said that the Kingdom
was in danger of being attacked by neighbouring kingdoms but when the child was in the womb suddenly the
attitude of the Kings changed and everyone wished to have friendly relations with King Nandisen. The King
was very happy and realised that it was the power of divinity in the unborn child that spread good vibrations
everywhere resulting in peace and brotherhood in the kingdom which would soon spread to neighbouring
Kingdoms.
Soon the Queen gave birth to a son on the twelfth day of the Jyeshta Shukla paksh of Visakha month. There
was love, peace and prosperity everywhere. Since the Kings or enemies (Parsh) who wanted to attack their
kingdom now became friends (Suparsh), the child was named Suparshva. After some years as he grew up,
they got him married. Later his father decided to hand over the Kingdom to him and went away to the forest
to meditate and pursue spiritual practices. Suparshva then ruled the kingdom wisely for many years
conducting the affairs of the state ably and looking after his subjects well.

Suparshvanath 7TH Tirthankar
Pushpadanta or Suvidhinath was King Mahapadma of Pushkalvati Vijay in his earlier incarnation. His soul had
already undergone rigorous spiritual disciplines in earlier lifetimes due to which he had reached an exalted
state of spiritual enlightenment. Therefore he was reborn as the next Tirthankar. His soul descended into
the womb of Queen Rama Devi who was the wife of King Sugriv of Kakandi town. The queen then saw the
auspicious sixteen dreams which meant that the child in her womb was a Tirthankar.
Their Muni Shri Shantipriya explained to them the
auspiciousness of the birth and the good fortune that they both
had to become the parents of a Tirthankar. Both the King and
Queen were overjoyed. The Queen gave birth to a son on the
fifth day of the Magashirsha month at Krishna Paksh of the
Hindu calendar. During the pregnancy the Queen discovered
that she could perform even the most difficult tasks with great
ease and in the correct procedure which everyone around her
noticed to their great astonishment. The royal priest declared
that this was due the quality of the child in her womb and so the
child was named Suvidhi(correct process).

Dharmanath 15TH Tirthankar
Dharmanath in his previous incarnation was King Dridhrath of Baddilpur town in Mahavideha area. He was a
very pious and religious King. Due to severe penances of a number of births he had achieved a very high
state of spiritual enlightenment due to which he was reborn as a tirthankar. He reincarnated as God in the
Vijyanta dimension after which his soul descended into the womb of Suvrata Devi who was the wife of King
Bhanuraja of Ratnapuri.
The King knew about the dreams of King Rishabdeva’s mother
so he realised that the child in the Queen’s womb was a
Tirthankar. Both of them were overjoyed at their good
fortune. The Queen soon gave birth to a son on the third day
of the bright half of the month of Magh(according to the Hindu
calendar). During the pregnancy the King and queen including
the subjects devoted all their time to religious activities like
charity, penances and other noble activities. Realising that it
was due to the influence of the purity and Godliness of the
unborn soul, the new born was named Dharmanath.

Kunthunath 17TH Tirthankar
Kunthunath in his earlier incarnation was King Simhavaha of Khadgi town in Mahavideha area. He was
highly religious and God loving. After some time he gave up his kingdom and took Diksha from
Samvaracharya. He had been undergoing rigorous spiritual penances over several lifetimes and had
reached a very exalted state of enlightenment due to which he was reborn as a Tirthankar. He
reincarnated in the Sarvarthasiddha dimension of the Gods and then his soul descended into the womb
of Queen Shri Devi who was the wife of King Shursen of Hastinapur.
When she informed the King, he recognised the
signs of a Tirthankar and informed her and both of
them were overjoyed that they were blessed to be
the parents of a Tirthankar. Soon time passed and
the Queen was blessed with a son on the
fourteenth day of Krishna Paksh of the month of
Vaisakh of the Hindu calendar. As the Queen had
dreamt of a heap of gemstones known as Kunthu
during her pregnancy the child was named
Kunthunath. He soon grew up and was married.
The King then handed over the kingdom to him and
went to the forest for spiritual practices.

Mallinath 19TH Tirthankar
It is said that Mallinath in his previous life was King Mahabal of Vitshoka. He had six other Kings who were
very close friends of his. All of them had led a close knit life together and they decided to take up ascetism.
They took Diksha from Varadharma Muni and began their spiritual penances sincerely. But Mahabal always
wished to be ahead of his friends hence would secretly practise without their knowledge. When asked he
would pretend otherwise.
When asked he would pretend otherwise. Therefore he
had to be reborn as a woman due to his deception. But he
had reached a very high state of spiritual advancement
and hence along with the other six other friends
reincarnated in the Anuttar dimension of Gods. But the
soul of Mahabal being highly evolved descended into the
womb of Queen Prabhavati who was the wife of King
Kumbh of Mithila. During the pregnancy the Queen had a
desire to smell flowers all the time so she slept on a bed
of five different colours of fragrant flowers. On the
eleventh day of the bright half of the month of
Margashirsh, everyone was surprised to see that the
Queen had given birth to a beautiful girl.

Mahavir 24TH Tirthankar
Bhagavan Mahavir’s birth is traced back from his 27th life when he was a village elder and forester named
Nayasar who was pious and compassionate and served some ascetics with great devotion who blessed
him and from this time it is said that Samyaktva or the seeds of righteousness were sowed in him .This is
the starting point of spiritual evolution when a soul lost in the darkness of illusion gets the first glimpse of
spiritual light. Mahavir’s evolution is thus traced from this period. He was then reborn as a God in the
Saudharm dimension of the Gods. He then reincarnated as Marichi, the son of Bharat and the grandson of
Rishabhdeva, the first Tirthankar.

Arahnath 18th Tirthankar
Arahnath in his earlier incarnation was King Dhanpati of Sushima city in Mahavideha area. After ruling for a
number of years he took Diksha from Samvar Muni. He had done rigorous penances for a number of
lifetimes and had attained a very exalted state of enlightenment. Thus his soul was reborn as the next
Tirthankar. He reincarnated in the Graiveyak dimension of the Gods and then descended into the womb of
Queen Mitradevi who was the wife of King Sudarshana of Hastinapur.
Both of them were overjoyed to hear that the child to be born would be a
Tirthankar. The Queen soon thereafter gave birth to a son on the tenth day
of the Krishna Paksh of the month of Margashirsh according to the Hindu
calendar. The Queen had also dreamt of a gem studded wheel(Arah) and
hence the child was named Arahnath. Time passed by and the boy grew up
and they got him married.
Time passed by and the boy grew up and they got him married. The King then
handed over the Kingdom to his son and retired to the forest to practice
spiritual disciplines. Arahnath ruled the Kingdom wisely. Soon the disc
weapon ‘Chakra’ appeared in his armoury and he proceeded to conquer the
kingdom with his mighty army. It is said that he conquered the six continents
and in his attendance were thirty two thousand Kings, thus he became a
Chakravarti.

Parshvanath 23rd Tirthankar
Parshvanath was born in the Ikshvaku dynasty to Queen Vama Devi and King Aswasena of Varanasi.
The Queen witnessed fourteen dreams which are the signs of the advent of the birth of a Tirthankar.
In his earlier incarnation he was Marubhuti, the son of Purohit Vishnubhuti of Potanpur city and then
he was reborn as an elephant in the forests of Vindhyachal. His soul then reincarnated as a god in the
Sahasrar dimension and then he was born as Prince Kiranveg in the Mahavideha area who became an
ascetic.
All these births of performing rigorous spiritual penances led
to his having reached a very exalted state hence after
reincarnating in the Pranat dimension of Gods his soul
descended into the womb of Queen Vama Devi who was the wife
of King Ashwasena of Varanasi. He was born on the tenth day of
the dark half of the month of Paush. During her pregnancy the
Queen had seen a snake slithering on the bed near the flank of
the King and she had woken him up and saved him from the
impending danger so they named him Parshva(flank).

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