Lord Kunthunath, the 17th Tirthankar

 Lord Kunthunath is the seventeenth tirthankar of the present avasarpini time cycle. He is also the sixth Chakravarti king and the twelfth Kamadeva. His complexion is golden and symbol is goat. The chaitya tree under which he got omniscience is banyan tree (vata).

In his third last birth, he was king Simhavah in Vijaykhand Nagar of Arhat area in Purva Videha Kshetra of Jambudweep. King Simhavah was very pious and powerful leader. He was the receptacle of virtue and ardent practitioner of justice. His mind was very sharp and it was difficult for others to penetrate his mind. He ruled his kingdom not for wealth but for the beneficiary of his subjects. As he grew old, he felt extreme disgust with existence and decided to take initiation under Acharya Samvara. In course of time, while practising the vows to control his body and mind, he died and became a god in the heaven Sarvartha siddha.

Kunthunath was born in Hastinapur. His father was Sura and mother Sridevi. On the fourteenth day of the dark half of moon in krittika constellation, queen Sridevi gave birth to her son. During pregnancy, the queen had seen a heap of jewels, called kunthu, in her dream, hence the name of the newborn baby was decided to be Kunthunath. Gradually the boy grew up and got married at proper age. When his father became old, he took charge of his father’s kingdom and increased his empire by conquering neighbouring states. It took six hundred years to conquer the entire Bharat kshetra and became Chakravarti.

When the time approached for initiation, Kunthunath handed over his empire to his son and distributed his wealth to the citizens. He left the kingdom and went to Sahasramravana where he became a mendicant after observing a two day fast. Free from attachment, Kunthunath wandered for sixteen years as an ascetic. He finally returned to Sahasramravana and stood erect in Pratima form under a vata tree. He meditated for two days on fasting.  Omniscience was attained after destructing the karmas on the third day of bright half of Chaitra, moon being in krittika constellation. In his Samavasarana, Lord Kunthunath gave a sermon on the purity of mind. Purity of mind is an unextinguished light, showing the path to nirvana. Where purity of mind exists, there virtues become existent. Therefore, one need to cultivate purity of mind while practicing penance. Meditation becomes useless whose mind is devoid of purity. It is like a mirror to a person who is deprived of eyesight.

Lord Kunthunath travelled from place to place delivering lectures on the religion and many people became his disciples. When time for emancipation became near, Lord Kunthunath went to Mt. Sammet. He was on fasting for a month after which his soul attained an eternal abode.

Yaksha Gandharva was the male messenger deity and Bala became the female messenger deity of Lord Kunthunath who originated in the congregation after omniscience and always accompanied him.