Vasupujya
Twelfth tirthankara of the present cosmic age.
Vasupujya, the twelfth tirthankara of the current age in Jainism, was the son of King Vasupujya and Queen Jaya Devi, born in Champapuri into the Ikshvaku dynasty. He is considered a siddha—a soul freed from all karma.
Quick Facts
- Deity of
- 12th Tirthankara
- Other names
- Shri Vasupujya Swami Bhagwan
- Venerated in
- Jainism
- Mother
- Jaya (Vijaya)
- Predecessor
- Shreyansanatha
- Successor
- Vimalanatha
- Birthplace
- Champapur
- Dynasty
- Ikṣvākuvaṁśa
Facts from the source article.
Life and legends
Jain tradition venerates Vasupujya as the 12th tirthankara of the avasarpini. He was born into the Ikshvaku dynasty to King Vasupujya and Queen Jaya Devi in Champapuri. Texts attribute to him a symbolic lifespan of 7,200,000 years and a height of 70 bows. Uniquely, all five kalyanakas occurred in Champapuri, and he attained liberation there rather than on Mount Shikharji. His era is associated with the second Vasudeva, Dwiprishtaha, whose brother Shrivijay joined Vasupujya's monastic order. He was born 54 sagara after Shreyansanatha, and Vimalanatha was born 30 sagara after him.
Iconography
In art, Vasupujya is depicted in a meditative posture with a red complexion. His emblem is the water buffalo, shown on the pedestal of his idols. His male guardian deity is Kumara in both Digambara and Śvētāmbara traditions. The Digambara sect identifies his female guardian as Gandhari, while the Śvētāmbara sect identifies her as Chanda.
Temples and legacy
Champapuri in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar is the primary pilgrimage site, associated with his entire life cycle and liberation. A 31 ft monolithic statue of Vasupujya was inaugurated there in 2014. In southern India, significant Śvētāmbara temples are located in Alleppey and Ernakulam, Kerala. Major modern temple complexes and memorials, such as the Shri Atma Vallabh Jain Smarak, have been established in Ludhiana and Delhi.
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