Shitalanatha
Tenth tirthankara of the present cosmic age.
Shitalanatha is the tenth tirthankara of the present age in Jainism. He is venerated as a liberated soul who destroyed all karma and attained siddha status. His birth is commemorated on the twelfth day of the Magha Krishna month.
Quick Facts
- Deity of
- 10th Jain Tirthankara
- Venerated in
- Jainism
- Father
- Dridharatha
- Mother
- Sunanda
- Height
- 90 bows (270 meters)
- Predecessor
- Pushpadanta
- Successor
- Shreyansanatha
- Birthplace
- Bhaddilpur
Facts from the source article.
Life and legends
Shitalanatha was born into the Ikshvaku dynasty to King Dradhratha and Queen Nanda in Bhaddilpur. Jain tradition assigns him a lifespan of 100,000 purvas and a height of 90 bows. After ruling, he renounced worldly life, became an ascetic, and attained omniscience. He achieved liberation on Mount Shikharji. He was born 9 crore sagara after Pushpadanta; his successor Shreyansanatha was born 9,999,900 sagara after him.
Iconography
Shitalanatha is depicted with a golden complexion in a meditative posture. The Digambara tradition associates his emblem with the wishing tree or Swastika, while the Śvētāmbara tradition uses the Srivatsa mark. His male guardian deity is Brahma; his female guardian is Manavi (Digambara) or Ashoka (Śvētāmbara).
Temples and legacy
A shrine on Mount Shikharji marks the site of his liberation and is a major pilgrimage destination. The Calcutta Jain Temple in Kolkata, built in 1867 by Seth Badridas, enshrines Shitalanatha as its primary deity and serves the Śvētāmbara community.
More in Tirthankaras
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced