Lord Munisuvrata, the 20th Tirthankara

 

Lord Munisuvrata is the twentieth tirthankara of the present avasarpini time cycle according to Jain cosmology. His complexion is black and symbol is tortoise. The chaitya tree under which he got omniscience is champaka tree.

In his previous incarnation, he was known as king Surasrestha in the city of Champa. He was a fourfold hero: a protector of the poor, eager in battle, resembling a kalpa tree in fulfilling and granting wishes, the head of the Jain religion. He listened the sermon delivered by Muni Nandan after which he lost interest with his position as king and became a mendicant under the guidance of Muni Nandan he practiced the body-making karma of a Tirthakrt by the sthanas, devotion to the Arhats etc. and became a chief god in Pranata after death.

Munisuvrata was born in the, city named, Rajgriha in Magadh. At that time, Magadh was at its pinnacle of glory. His father was king Sumitra and mother Padmavati Devi. He was born on the eighth day of the dark half of Jyestha in Sravana constellation. While he was in mother’s womb, queen Padmavati kept all the religious vows like a saint (su vrata meaning good vows), so his father decided his name to be Munisuvrata. When he became young, he married to princess Prabhavati and they had a son Suvrata. After ruling for many years, Munisuvrata decided to handover his kingdom to his son Suvrata and himself transformed into an ascetic.

After observing a two day fast, Munisuvrata adopted mendicancy. Free from attachment, free from self-interest, enduring all trials, he wandered for eleven months as an ascetic. While reaching the garden Nilguha, he stood erect in Pratima posture under a champak tree and meditated extensively till he got omniscience after destruction of ghati karmas on the twelfth day of the dark half of Phalgun, moon being in Sravana constellation. The samavasarana was made under asoka tree where Lord Munisuvrata delivered a sermon on Yatidharma and house-holder’s dharma.

Lord Munisuvrata wandered over the earth for many years delivering lectures and preaching religion. Once he stopped in the city of Bhrgukaccha, whose king was Jitasatru. He came on a horse and listened the sermon delivered by the Lord. The horse listened the sermon so attentively that his hair turned erect, he became motionless, his ears picked up. When asked the supreme lord, he said that the horse adopted the religion thoroughly through his body and soul.

When the time for nirvana came near, Lord Munisuvrata went to Mt. Sammet and commenced fasting. At the end of one month, on the ninth day of the dark half of Jyestha, in the Sravana constellation Lord Munisuvrata attained emancipation and his soul went to an eternal abode.

Varun Yaksha Dev and Nardatta Yakshini Devi are his male and female messenger deities.