39 Facts About Rishabhanatha

Rishabhanatha was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology and called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths.

Rishabhanatha was the spiritual successor of Sampratti Bhagwan, the last Tirthankara of the previous time cycle.

Rishabhanatha is known as Ikshvaku, establisher of the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Rishabhanatha's iconography includes ancient idols such as at Kulpak Tirth and Palitana temples as well as colossal statues such as Statue of Ahimsa, Bawangaja and those erected in Gopachal hill.

Rishabhanatha's icons include the eponymous bull as his emblem, the Nyagrodha tree, Gomukha Yaksha, and Chakreshvari Yakshi.

Rishabhanatha is known by many names including Adinatha, Adishwara, Yugadeva and Nabheya.

However, Rishabhanatha is an exception as he was born at the end of the third half.

Rishabhanatha is said to be the founder of Jainism in the present Avsarpini by all sub-traditions and sects of Jainism.

Rishabhanatha is believed to have been born 10 years ago and lived for a span of 8,400,000 purva.

Rishabhanatha was born to Nabhi and Marudevi, the king and queen of Ayodhya, on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Chaitra.

Rishabhanatha is believed to have had two wives, Sunanda and Sumangala.

Jain texts state that Rishabhanatha taught his daughters Brahmi and Sundari, Brahmi script and the science of numbers respectively.

Rishabhanatha is described as a just and kind ruler in Jain texts, who was not attached to wealth or vices.

Rishabhanatha was born in bhoga-bhumi or the age of omnipresent happiness.

Rishabhanatha is then said to have taught them six main professions.

Rishabhanatha is credited in Jainism to have invented and taught fire, cooking and all the skills needed for human beings to live.

In total, Rishabhanatha is said to have taught seventy-two sciences to men and sixty-four to women.

Rishabhanatha is depicted as a form of culture hero for the current cosmological cycle.

Traditional sources state that Rishabhanatha was the first king who established his capital at Vinitanagara.

Rishabhanatha is claimed to have given first laws for governance by a king.

Rishabhanatha is said to have established the three-fold varna system based on professions consisting of kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras.

Rishabhanatha is then believed to have distributed his kingdom among his hundred sons.

Rishabhanatha is believed to have become a monk in Siddharta-garden, in the outskirts of Ayodhya, under Ashoka tree on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra Krishna.

Svetambara text Trisasti-salaka-purusa-caritra mentions Rishabhanatha tore only four handfuls of his hair.

Jains believe that people did not know the procedure to offer food to a monk, since Rishabhanatha was the first one.

Rishabhanatha is said to have spent a thousand years performing austerities before attaining kevala jnana under Akshayavata in the town of Purimatala on the 11th day of falgun-krishna after destroying all four of his ghati-karma.

Rishabhanatha is believed to have given the five major vows for monks and 12 minor vows for laity.

Rishabhanatha is believed to have established the sangha consisting of male and female mendicants and disciples.

Rishabhanatha is said to have preached the principles of Jainism far and wide.

Rishabhanatha is suggested to have attained Nirvana or moksha, destroying all four of his aghati-karma.

Rishabhanatha's death is believed in Jainism to have occurred on Ashtapada on the fourteenth day of Magha Krishna.

The life of Lord Rishabhanatha is detailed in Mahapurana of Jinasena, Trisasti-salaka-purusa-caritra by the Svetambara monk Acharya Hemachandra, Kalpa Sutra, and Jambudvipa-prajnapti.

Rishabhanatha is usually depicted in the lotus position or kayotsarga, a standing posture of meditation.

The distinguishing features of Rishabhanatha are his long locks of hair which fall on his shoulders, and an image of a bull in sculptures of him.

Rishabhanatha's hairlocks have been depicted in first century CE sculptures found in Mathura and Causa.

Rishabhanatha is sometimes shown presenting a bowl to his followers and teaching them the art of pottery, painting a house, or weaving textiles.

Rishabhanatha is associated with his Bull emblem, the Nyagrodha tree, Gomukha Yaksha, and Chakreshvari Yakshi.

Statue of Ahimsa, carved out of a single rock, is a 108 feet tall statue of Rishabhanatha and is 1,840 sq feet in size.

Rishabhanatha is one of the five most devotionally revered Tirthankaras, along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Shantinatha.