Dharanendra

Dharanendra

Sculpture of Yaksha Dharanendra at Akkana Basadi, Shravanabelagola
Affiliation Yaksha of Parshvanatha
Consort Padmavati
The inside view of Akkana Basadi, Shravanabelagola(1181 A.D.); Parshvanatha (centre), Yaksha Dharanendra(left) and Yakshini Padmavati (right)

Dharanendra is the Attendant God (Yaksha) of Parshvanatha, twenty-third Tirthankara in Jainism. He enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains.[1] According to the Digambara tradition, when Lord Parshvanatha was a prince, he saved two snakes that had been trapped in a log in an Kamath’s fire. Later, these snakes were reborn as Dharanendra, the lord of the underworld Naga Kingdom, and Padmavati. They, then sheltered Parshvanatha when he was harassed by Meghalin (Kamath reborn).[2][3][4] Śvētāmbara tradition, however, does not list Padmavati among the main queens of Dharanendra.[5]

Western Ganga literature states that Dharanendra was worshipped for acquiring sons.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. Jain & Fischer 1978, p. 20.
  2. Jain & Fischer 1978, p. 21.
  3. "Parshvanatha". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  4. Dundas 2002, p. 33.
  5. Shah 1987, p. 267.
  6. Adiga 2006, p. 264.

References

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