Shree Rishabhdev Bhagwan: Past Lives of the First Tirthankara

Among the twenty-four Tirthankaras, the first Tirthankara, Lord Rishabhdev is also known as Adinath Bhagwan. In his first birth, by sincerely serving Munis with deep devotion, He attained Samyak Darshan (Right Vision). Let us now read about the twelve past lives of Lord Rishabhdev.

First Birth - Dhan Saarthwaah Sheth, Second Birth - Yuglik and Third Birth - Celestial World

His first birth was in the Mahavideh Kshetra as Dhan Saarthwaah Sheth in the kingdom of King Prasanna Chandra. Dhan Saarthwaah Sheth was a very rich business man. He used to offer alms to Monks and also serve them a lot.

Once, for business purpose, he was going to Vasantpur. On the way, some Jain Monks (Sadhus) requested him to accompany them during their travel. He accompanied them with this business crew, took great care of them, and served them heartily along the way. After making a hermitage at a place suitable for the Monks, he left for his business work. Thereafter, Seth became so busy in his business that he completely forgot about the Monks.

Suddenly one day, he recalled about having brought the Jain Monks along with him. As soon as he remembered, Dhan Saarthwaah Sheth immediately went to the Monks and repented greatly for his mistakes. With nothing else in the forest, he served the Monks the ghee he had with deep, heartfelt repentance with utmost devotion. Based on this, Dhan Saarthwaah Sheth attained the Right Vision (Samyak Drashti), which is the first step to Absolute Knowledge (Keval Gnan). Thereafter, he started embracing the life of a Shravak and lived so throughout his life. He passed his remaining life in servicing others and performing great austerities.

His next birth was as a yugal in the third era in the Bharat Kshetra.

The period from the first era to the third era of the current time cycle in the Bharat Kshetra is called the yugaliya period. In this yuglik period, humans are born as twins only, one male and one female. Every pair of twins (yugal) spends their whole life together. The twin children grow together, become young, and get married when time is apt. They live a happy and contented life, and die naturally together. During this period, there is no tension, no pain and no worry for even food. Lord Rishabhdev took birth during this period. After completing His lifespan as a yugal, His third birth was as a celestial being (Dev) in the Saudharma Devlok, one of the 12 celestial realms or heavens.

Fourth Birth - King Mahabal and Fifth Birth - Lalitang Dev

After passing his life amidst immense happiness and luxuries at Saudharma Devlok, the fourth birth of Lord Rishabhdev was as a human. He was born as a son to King Shatbal and Queen Swayamprabha and was named Mahabal. Being an expert in various skills, he was also known as Vidhyadhar. In course of time, the parents gave the charge of throne to their son and took Diksha.

In the royal court, most of his ministers lived a life that was tainted with wrong company and immersed in the pleasures of five senses. However, one of his ministers named Swayambuddh had attained Samyak Darshan (Right Vision). He lived an extremely pious and religious life, driven with the goal of liberation. However, Mahabal was more influenced by the other ministers, who were drowned in enjoying the sensual pleasures to the fullest, and hence, he remained engrossed in the bad company. Owing to King Mahabal’s carelessness, the entire kingdom was in chaos. Seeing this, the heart of Minister Swayambuddh started crying in deep pain.

Once Minister Swayambuddh gathered a lot of courage, and in the courtroom, he said to the King, “Whatever you are doing is not right. We should not waste our life like this. All this is temporary.” King Mahabal replied, “I am still young and I must enjoy all the sensual pleasures in life.”

Just a day ago, one Jain Monk, who had Avadhi Gnan, had told Minister Swayambuddh that he should not worry about Mahabal because in future, his heart would change and he would become a being of a higher level; but right now, he had only one month’s time left to live his life. So, Minister Swayambuddh informed this to the king. Due to the advice of Minister Swayambuddh, King Mahabal’s heart changed completely. With the end time coming closer, the king immersed himself in devotional worship and repented for all his wrong deeds. While spending his last hours in this way, he died and took birth in Devlok.

Now, he was born as Lalitang Dev. There, he enjoyed enormous pleasures and spent his life in deep attachment with Devi Swayamprabha. Finally, Lalitang Dev, through his Avadhi Gnan, came to know that his life in Devlok was about to get over.

Sixth Birth - King Vajrajang and Other Two Births

The sixth birth was in the Purva Mahavideh Kshetra as Prince Vajrajang, the son of King Suvarnajang and Queen Laxmidevi. At the same time, Shrimati, who was Devi Swayamprabha in her previous birth, was born to Queen Gunvati and King Vajrasen who was a Chakravarti in the Purva Mahavideh Kshetra.

Shrimati, being the daughter of a Chakravarti, was raised with lot of love and pamper. Once Shrimati, along with her friends, went to see (do darshan of, devotional viewing) Jain Monks who had attained Absolute Knowledge (Keval Gnan). Just upon seeing them, Jatismaran Gnan manifested in her due to which she could see her previous births. Through it, Shrimati saw that as Swayamprabha Devi in her previous birth, she had passed a long time in deep attachment with Lalitang Dev. Upon knowing this, Shrimati experienced a significant pain of separation from Lalitang Dev. She firmly determined that in this birth too, she would have him only as her husband.

Later, Shrimati called upon the best of the painters and informed them about all the special moments she had shared with Lalitang Dev in her previous birth. Then, she asked the painters to draw exact pictures of those moments and organized a huge exhibition of those. Anyone who saw the exhibition was praising it. Vajrajang, meaning Lalitang Dev who was Shrimati’s husband in her previous life, also came to see the exhibition.

Upon seeing the paintings, he recollected his previous birth with Swayamprabha Devi, which arose in him the desire of meeting Swayamprabha Devi. Shrimati had already instructed that if anything happens to anyone while seeing this exhibition, she should be informed immediately. Upon inquiring, King Vajrajang revealed the truth and was then taken to King Vajrasen. There, whatever Shrimati said and Vajrajang said, both was same. So, Chakravarti King Vajrasen got his daughter Shrimati married to King Vajrajang. Later, King Vajrasen handed over the responsibility of his kingdom to his son-in-law, took Diksha and went to jungle to attain Self-Realization. Vajrajang and Shrimati were living happily together and were running the kingdom well.

Once some Monks visited King Vajrajang’s palace, and listening to their preachings, he thought of taking Diksha and decided to spend the rest of his life religiously. One night, King Vajrajang decided that he shall take Diksha the next day and hand over the kingdom to his son. Meanwhile, at the same time, his son thinks that his father is not giving him the kingdom. Therefore, to take revenge for not getting the kingdom in his hands, the son killed his parents the same night by releasing poison in the air when his parents were in deep sleep. Thus, King Vajrajang and Queen Shrimati died together.

Thereafter, in the seventh birth, Queen Shrimati and King Vajrajang, both were born as Yuglik; they lived together and died together too.

Then, in the eight birth, King Vajrajang became a celestial being in Devlok. There, he enjoyed immense pleasure and luxuries.

Ninth Birth - Vaid Jivanand and Tenth Birth - Celestial World

After completing his lifespan in Devlok, King Vajrajang took birth as a human in a family of an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner (vaid). His name was Jivanand. He learned the medical (vaidik) skills from his father. Once upon seeing a Monk whose body had become too weak and fragile due to severe austerities, Jivanand felt like serving him with a vaidik treatment. So Jivanand requested the Monk, and then with great care, treated him with all medicines. This is how Jivanand freed that Monk from all diseases.

By serving the weak Monk heartily and selflessly, Jivanand’s next birth was in Devlok. This was the tenth birth of the Lord.

Eleventh Birth - Chakravarti Vajranabh and Twelfth Birth - Celestial World

Bhagwan Rishabhdev’s eleventh incarnation was in the Mahavideh Kshetra, in Pudarikgiri Nagri located in the Pushpakalavati Vijay region, as a Chakravarti named King Vajranabh.

One who was Queen Swayamprabha in the previous birth took birth as Chakravarti Vajranabh’s brother. Since so many births, these two were born together. All brothers were profoundly attached with each other. Like King Vajranabh, they would help the poor and the orphans.

Their father then renounced the kingdom and handed over the throne to Vajranabh. He soon became the ruler of the six continents (khands) in that time. This is how he became a Chakravati. He then entrusted various countries to his friends and kept his brother Keshav as his Sarthi. After many years of ruling as a Chakravarti, Vajranabh took Diksha. His friends, and the Sarthi too, took Diksha.

He attained Dharmdhyan by undertaking spiritual practices, study of scriptures, severe austerities, and restraints. Vajranabha also received great spiritual achievements by performing tremendous restraint, worship, renunciation and austerities and bound the Tirthankara-naam-gotra karma. By having just one intent day and night as to how do people attain the path of liberation and how do people attain freedom from all kinds of sufferings, the Tirthankar-naam-gotra-karma gets bound. Based on this intent, if one attains any one of the Vees Sthanak (20 positions), that person binds the Tirthankara gotra karma. Some of these Vees Sthanak are worshipping the Panch Parmeshti namely, the Arihants, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyays and Sadhus, embracing and following the Right Knowledge-Right Vision-Right Conduct (Gnan-Darshan-Charitra), and practicing a lot of austerities and restraints.

Due to these pious intents, Lord reincarnated as a Dev in SarvaarthSiddhi Anuttar Vimaan Devlok. This was his twelfth birth before being born as the first Tirthankara of the current time cycle on the Earth. Read ahead - the life story of Lord Rishabhdev from His birth to His Nirvana.