ajitanatha

{{Infobox deity

| type = Jain

| deity_of = 2nd Jain Tirthankara

| image = Idol of Ajitnatha at Taranga.jpg

| caption = Tirthankara Ajitnatha at Shri Ajitnath Bhagwan Shwetamber Jain Derasar, Taranga

| alt = Ajitanatha

| venerated_in = Jainism

| symbol = Elephant

| color = Golden

| father = Jitaśatru

| mother = Vijayādevī

| height = 450 dhanush (1,350 meters)

| age = 72 lakh purvas (508.032 x 10¹⁸ years old)

| tree = Saptaparna (Alstonia scholaris)

| predecessor = Rishabhanatha

| successor = Sambhavanatha

| birth_place = Ayodhya

}}

Ajitanatha (lit. invincible) was the second tirthankara of the present age, avasarpini (half time cycle) according to Jainism. He was born to king Jitashatru and Queen Vijaya at Ayodhya in the Ikshvaku dynasty. He was a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.

In Jain texts

Ajitnatha (lit. invincible){{sfn|Vijay K. Jain|2015|p=183}} was the second tirthankara of the present age, avasarpini (half time cycle in Jain cosmology) according to Jainism.{{sfn|Tukol|1980|p=31}}

Ajitnatha was born in the town of Saketa to King Jitashatru and Queen Vijaya at Ayodhya (Vinita-Saketa){{Cite book |last=Shah |first=Umakant Premanand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m_y_P4duSXsC&q=jaina+rupa+mandana |title=Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana |date=1987 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-208-6 |location=New Delhi |pages=128 |language=en |trans-title=Jaina Iconography}} in the Ikshvaku dynasty on magha-shukla-dashmi (the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Magha).{{sfn|Tukol|1980|p=31}} His height was 450 dhanusha. He lived for a span of 72 lakh purva.{{sfn|Vijay K. Jain|2015|p=183}}

According to Hemachandra, he was named Ajita because the king father was unable to defeat his mother in gambling until he was in her womb. Uttarapurana, a Digambara text, explains that he was named Ajita because he could not be defeated by sins or all heretics.

He attained kevala jnana under the saptaparna tree (Alstonia scholaris) and Moksha on chaitra-shukla-panchmi (fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra) from Shikharji.{{sfn|Krishna|Amirthalingam|2014|p=46}}{{sfn|Vijay K. Jain|2015|p=183}}

He had 90 Ganadharas and Simhasena was his chief among them. Falgu (according to Swetambara tradition) or Prakubja (according to Digambara tradition) was a chief of his order of the nuns.{{sfn|Vijay K. Jain|2015|p=183}}

The Yajurveda mentions the name of Ajitanatha, but the meaning is not clear. According to Jain traditions, his younger cousin brother was Sagara. Sagara, who became the second Chakravartin, is known from the traditions of both Hindu and Jain scriptures.{{citation |last=Jain |first=Kailash Chandra |title=Antiquity of Jainism |url=http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/article/antiquity.htm |publisher=Jainism Literature Center |author-link=Kailash Chandra Jain}}

Iconography

Swetambara as well as Digambara sects consider his complexion golden and elephant as his symbol. He is associated with saptaparna tree; Mahayaksha as attendant Yaksha; and Ajita (as per Swetambra) or Rohini (as per Digambara) as attendant Yakshis.{{sfn|Tandon|2002|p=44}} The elephant, symbol of Ajitanatha, is a vahana (mount) of the Mahayakshya and Ajita Yakshi seems named after Ajitanatha.

In literature, art and architecture

=Literature=

The Ajitha purana, by Ranna narrates the story of Ajitanatha.
Ajitashanti Stotra compiled by Nandisena in 7th century is a praise to Ajitnatha and Shantinatha.{{Sfn|Cort|2001|p=236}}

=Major temples=

Taranga Jain Temple
Vasai Jain Temple in Bhadresar
Bandhaji{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
Chaturmukha Basadi, Gerusoppa
Bateshwar Jain Temple, Agra
Ajitnathji Jain Temple, Pal gam, Surat, Gujarat

File:Kutch Bhadreshwar Jain Temple.jpg|Vasai Jain Temple

File:Tarangaji Jain temple.jpg|Taranga, Gujarat (1121 AD) constructed by King Kumarapala

File:Rangmandap, Taranga Jain Temple.jpg|Rang mandapa of the Svetambara Jain Temple at Taranga which was originally constructed by Kumarpala in 1161

File:Chaturmukha basadi, Gerusoppa (cropped).jpg|Chaturmukha Basadi, Gerusoppa

References

=Citations=

=Sources=

{{citation|last=Jain |first=Vijay K. |author-link=Vijay K. Jain |title=Acarya Samantabhadra's Svayambhustotra: Adoration of The Twenty-four Tirthankara |date=2015 |publisher=Vikalp Printers |isbn=978-81-903639-7-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xI8HBgAAQBAJ |quote={{PD-notice}} |ref={{sfnref|Vijay K. Jain|2015}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916101903/https://books.google.com/books?id=xI8HBgAAQBAJ |archive-date=16 September 2015 }}
{{citation |last1=Krishna |first1=Nanditha |author-link=Nanditha Krishna |last2=Amirthalingam |first2=M. |author-link2=M. Amirthalingam |title=Sacred Plants of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_xsAwAAQBAJ |publisher=Penguin Books |date=2014 |orig-year=2013 |isbn=978-9-351-18691-5 }}
{{citation |last=Tandon |first=Om Prakash |author-link=Om Prakash Tandon |title=Jaina Shrines in India |publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |isbn=81-230-1013-3 |date=2002 |orig-year=1968 |edition=1 |location=New Delhi }}
{{citation |last=Tukol |first=T. K. |author-link=T. K. Tukol |title=Compendium of Jainism |publisher=University of Karnataka |date=1980 |location=Dharwad }}

=Further reading=

{{citation |last=Johnson |first=Helen M. |author-link=Helen Moore Johnson |title=Ajitanathacaritra (Book 2 of the Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra) |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/jainism/book/trishashti-shalaka-purusha-caritra/d/doc212572.html |publisher=Baroda Oriental Institute |date=1931 }}
{{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZk-4HOMzsoC|title=Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India|first=John E.|last=Cort|publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2001|isbn=9780198030379 }}

Category:Tirthankaras

Category:Solar dynasty

Category:People from Faizabad

Category:Ancient Indian people