Suparshvanath

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Suparshvanath was the seventh Jain Tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.

Suparshvnath was born to King Prathisth Raja and Queen Prithvidevi at Banaras in the Ikshvaku clan. His birth date was the twelfth day of the Jayesth shukla month of the Hindu calendar.

[edit] Suparshvanath as a Historical Figure

There are some legends about the all the Jain Tirthankaras which may contain some historical matter. In the Mahavagga (1. 22. 13), there is a mention of a Jain temple of Lord Suparsva, the seventh Tirthankara situated at Rajagrih of Bihar state of India in the time of Lord Buddha. At Mathura, there is an old stupa of the Jains with the inscription of 157 A. D. This inscription records that an image of the Tirthankar Aranath was set up at the stupa built by the gods.

• Thus, in 157 A. D., this stupa was so old that it was regarded as the work of the gods. It was probably, therefore, erected several centuries before the Christian era. The later authors give us some information about this stupa.

Jinprabha in the Tirtha Kalpa, a work of the 14th century based on ancient materials mentions that the stupa originally of gold was erected in honor of the 7th JainTirthankar Suparsvanatha by the Kubera for two Jain Saints named Acharya Dharmaruchi and Dharmaghosh. In the time of 23rd Jain Tirthankar Parsvanatha, the golden stupa was enclosed in bricks and a stone temple was built outside. Even Somadeva, the author of the Yasastilaka who is nearly four hundred years earlier than Jinaprabha refers to it as built by gods.

• From this type of legendary account, it seems that there was the worship of Suparsvanatha several centuries before the Christian era.

The Yajurveda is also said to have mentioned the name of Suparsvanatha but the meaning is not definite. A seated image with a hood over its head attended by a half kneeling figure in respectful attitude in the pictures No. 15 & 16 of plate VIII may be the representation of the 7th Tirthankar Suparsvanatha.