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• As soon as the status of Tirthankar is attained Indra creates the divine pavilion (Samavasaran). In the assembly in this
pavilion the Tirthankar gives discourses in the Ardha-Magadhi language with the view that the common man may be
benefited. The Samavasaran is attended by all, including men, gods, and animals. In this first discourse at least one
individual gets inspired to abandon mundane life and become an ascetic. Bhagavan sits in the lotus pose in the
Samavasaran.
• Tirthankar Munisuvrat and Arishtanemi were born in the Harivamsa clan and the remaining twenty-two in the Ikshvaku
clan.
• At the moment of their renunciation Bhagavan Rishabhdev was the oldest in age (8.4 million Purva). Bhagavan Parshvanath
and Mahavir were the youngest in age (30 years).
• The tallest among the Tirthankars was Bhagavan Rishabhdev (five hundred Dhanush) and the smallest was Bhagavan
Mahavir (seven Haath/feet).
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age are the equal parts of average age of human beings of a specific era).
• Vasupujya, Malli, Nami, Parshva and Vardhaman became ascetics as princes during the first third part of their life.
Remaining nineteen Tirthankars became ascetics as kings during the last third part of their life. (The three divisions of
• From Rishabh to Shreyans all Tirthankars not only did marry but ruled also, Vasupujya altered this tradition by becoming
an ascetic when he was a young prince. The nineteenth and twenty-second Tirthankar remained unmarried.
• Bhagavan Rishabh started the process of renunciation at Vinita town and Arishtanemi at Dwarka. All the remaining
Tirthankars did at their respective birthplaces.
• Bhagavan Mahavir was initiated alone, Parshvanath and Mallinath with three hundred persons each, Vasupujya with six
hundred, Rishabh with four thousand and the remaining Tirthankars with one thousand persons each.
• Tirthankar Shreyans, Malli, Munisuvrat, Arishtanemi and Parshva, all the five took Diksha during the forenoon and the
remaining nineteen during the afternoon. Sumati took Diksha after having meals, Malli and Parshva after a three-day
fast, Vasupujya after one day fast and the remaining Tirthankars after two-day fasts (on the last day of the fasting period).
• Tirthankar Rishabh broke his fast after one year since the day of initiation, all the remaining Tirthankars the next day.
• Tirthankar Rishabh got sugar cane juice as the first alms and the remaining ones got Ksheer (rice cooked in milk).
• The places where the Tirthankars got their first alms were blessed with a shower of gold equivalent to the dimensions of
their respective bodies.
• All the Tirthankars of Bharat and Airavat areas except the first and the last propagate four-dimensional religion or the
religion with four great vows as its central theme. The four vows are-abandonment of or refraining from-1. all types of
violence, 2. all types of falsity, 3. all types of unoffered acquisition, and 4. all types of possessions. The first and the last
Tirthankars propagate five dimensional religions by adding the vow of abandonment of all types of lustful activities to the
above four.
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• The Ashok tree under which Mahavir got initiated was of 32 Dhanush height. The Chaitya tree of Rishabhdev of height
equipment to three times that of his body. All the remaining Tirthankars were initiated under trees having height equivalent
to 12 times the height of their respective bodies.
• Bhagavan Rishabh attained omniscience after a thousand years of his initiation and Mallinath just after four and halfhours.
• The area of the divine pavilion of Rishabh was 12 Yojans. There was a gradual reduction of 2 Kosa (1/2 Yojan) in this area
for succeeding Tirthankars till Naminath (22 nd ). The area of the divine pavilion of the twenty third Tirthankar, Parshvanath
was 1-5 Yojans and that of Mahavir was one Yojan. These dimensions are for the descending cycle that for the ascending
cycle is the same but in reverse order. In the Videh area the dimension is 12 Yojans uniformly. Indranilmani (Sapphire)
is essentially used in the decoration of these Samavasarans.
• The maximum number of chief disciples was one hundred for Bhagavan Sumatinath and the minimum for Parshvanathten.
• When the Karmic ties are completely broken the Tirthankar stops the speech completely.
• Before the Nirvana (liberation) Rishabhdev had observed a last penance (Santhara) of six days, Mahavir that of two days,
and the remaining Tirthankars that of one month.
• Rishabh, Arishtanemi and Mahavir, all these three were sitting in the Paryankasana (a specific yogic posture) and the
remaining twenty one were standing in the Kayotsarga Mundra (a yogic posture) at the moment of liberation.
• Rishabhdev was liberated at the Ashtapad Mountain, Arishtanemi at Girnar Mountain, Vasupujya at Champa town, Mahavir
at Pava town and all the rest at Sammetshikhar (Parasnath hills).
Amar Muni - Tirthankar Charitra - Surana # 48
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