30 Facts About Taran Svami

Taran Svami, spelled Taranswami, was a Jain religious teacher and founder of the Taran Panth, a sect of Digambara Jainism.

Taran Svami was celibate who got initiated as Digambara monk in his later life.

Taran Svami was born in Pushpavati village and into the Parvar caste, in the Vasalla gotra and Gaha mur.

Taran Svami spent next nine years in spiritual practises and took vrata and became a celibate when he was 30 years old.

Taran Svami became a monk when he was sixty and died when sixty-six and half years old.

Phulcandra constructed that Taran Svami was taken to Garaula, the village of his maternal uncle by his father when he was five years old.

Taran Svami was handed over to Bhattaraka Devendrakirti, heading the Canderi seat.

Taran Svami spent another nine years there meditating and in religious practices.

Taran Svami continued his religious practise for another thirty years.

Taran Svami became a monk at the age of sixty on his own.

Taran Svami lived as a monk for more six-and-a-half years.

Taran Svami's biography proved controversial as it chiefly focused on his opposition to image-worship, his tales of use of magic and his Muslim followers.

Taran Svami connects him with king Shrenik, Bhadrabahu, Kundakunda as his past lives.

Taran Svami stated that his second part is based on the oral tradition.

Taran Svami further adds that his version unlikely as there were no historical presence of Parvars in Delhi and the lack of the name of the king.

Taran Svami's father was a wealthy merchant and worked for the Lodhi kings.

Taran Svami moved to Garaula, a village in Sagar district due to unknown reason.

Taran Svami never married and continued to his interest in religious practices and meditation for years.

Taran Svami finally left home and became a celibate or a monk.

Taran Svami settled in Malhargarh, a village now in Guna district.

Taran Svami cited the lack of prior research and stated that his short biography is just a discussion on of Taran Svami's life as well as on the development of the Taran Panth.

Jaysagar has stated in his biography that Taran Svami must have been Mandalacharya based on Nama Mala but is considered unlikely as the title is used by Bhattarakas.

Taran Svami further stated that he had 1,100,000 direct followers and 4,200,000 had accepted his teachings.

Brahmachari Jnananand, a modern Taran Svami Panthi wrote a biography Taran Svami Jivan Jyoti which is criticised for imaginative additions and contrary to tradition.

Brahmachari Basant, a collaborator of Jnananand, has stated that Taran Svami was a Mandalacharya heading 151 Mandalas.

Taran Svami is seen as a ritual reformer who rejected the authority of Bhattarakas and the necessity of rituals.

Taran Svami is sometime put together with other saints of Bhakti Movement such as Kabir who rejected outer rituals and emphasized on inner realization.

Taran Svami's teachings emphasized on aniconism and indifference to idol worship which is seen in earlier Digambara mystic tradition.

At Semarkheri, it is said that Taran Svami once met gypsies who had caravan of camels loaded with sugar.

The contemporary understanding of Taran Svami mostly rejects these legends.