Simandhar Swami

Simandhar Swami
Tirthankara
Shri Simandhar Swami

Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankara, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain mythological universe.

Where is Simandhar Swami?

Tirthankara Simandhar Swami resides on Mahavideh Kshetra, another planet within the Jain mythological universe (see Jain cosmology).^[1][2][3]

The five planets of the Bharat Kshetra are currently in the 5th Ara (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not incarnate).^[4][5] The most recent Tirthankara present on Bharat Kshetra was Mahavira, whom historians estimate lived between 599-527 BCE, the last in a cycle of 24 Tirthankaras.^[6][7]

On Mahavideh Kshetra, the 4th Ara (a spiritually elevated time-cycle) exists continuously. There, living Tirthankaras perpetually incarnate.^[8][4] There are 5 Mahavideh Kshetras, each being a separate planet. At present, there are 4 Tirthankars residing in each Mahavideh Kshetra. Thus there are a total of 20 Tirthankaras residing there, Simandhar Swami being one among them.^[2][9]

Details of Simandhar Swami’s Life

Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankar, an Arihant, who is said to be currently present on another world in the Jain mythological universe.^[10][11] The Arihant Tirthankara Lord Simandhar Swami is currently 150,000 years old, and has a remaining lifespan of 125,000 years. ^[12] He lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of 32 geographical divisions on Mahavideh Kshetra.^[2][13] Pundarikgiri is ruled by King Shreyans, who is Simandhar Swami’s father. His mother is Queen Satyaki. While pregnant with Simandhar Swami, Queen Satyaki had a sequence of 14/16 (swetambar/digambar belief) dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankar.^[14]

Simandhar Swami was born with three complete aspects of Gnan, Self-knowledge:

• Mati Gnan (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of the 5-sense realm
• Shruta Gnan (see Jain epistemology), knowledge of all forms of communication
• Avadhi Gnan (see Jain epistemology), clairvoyant knowledge^[15]

As a young adult, he married Rukamani Devi and then, later in life, took diksha, renunciation from worldly life.^[14]

Simandhar Swami’s height is 500 dhanushya, approximately 1,500 feet, which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra.^[2]

Main Temples

• Trimandir, Adalaj in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Simandhar Swami Jain Derasar in Mehsana, Gujarat
• Simandhar Swami Jain Derasar in Bhilad, Gujarat
• Trimandir,Rajkot in Rajkot, Gujarat
• Trimandir,Bhuj in Bhuj, Gujarat
• Trimandir,Amreli in Amreli, Gujarat
• Trimandir,Godhra in Godhra, Gujarat
• Simandhar jinalay,Vidisha in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh

Reported Contact with Simandhar Swami

The following spiritual teachers have reported personal contact with Simandhar Swami, and credit him with influencing their teaching:

• Kundakunda Acharya^[16][17]
• Kanji Swami^[18][19][20]
• Dada Bhagwan^[21]

See also

Notes

1. Natubhai Shah 2004.
2. University, Jain, Mahavideh Kshetra (PDF), Jain University
3. Darshan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra" (PDF). Jain Darshan.
4. Jainism, My. "Kaal Chakra" (PDF). My Jainism.
5. Jaini 1998, pp. 30–32.
6. "Jain Meditation".
7. Jaini 1998, pp. 1–41.
8. Tirthankaras, Jain. "24 Tirthankaras". Jain Tirthankaras.
9. Atmadharma.com. "Adhyatma Pravachanratnatray" (PDF). Atmadharma.com.
10. Pravin K Shah, pp. 1–3.
11. Umich. "Arihants". Umich.edu.
12. http://www.trimandir.org/lord-simandhar-swami/about-simandhar-swami/
13. Gyan, Jain. "Mahavideh Kshetra". Jain Gyan. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
14. World, Jain. "Simandhar Swami". Jain World. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
15. Jaini 1998, p. 3.
16. "Jain Square".
17. Hill, Ponnur. "Kundakund Acharya".
18. Natubhai Shah 2004, p. 67.
19. Dundas 2002.
20. "Malaiya".
21. King & Brockington 2005, p. 219.

References

• Bhagwan, Dada (2005), Shree Simandhar Swami, Ahmedabad: Mahavideh Foundation
• Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-26605-X
• Humphrey and Laidlaw (1994). The archetypal actions of ritual: a theory of ritual illustrated by the Jain rite of worship. Indiana University: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0198279477.
• Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
• King; Brockington (2005), Intimate Other, The Love Divine in Indic Religions, Orient Blackswan, ISBN 978-81-250-2801-7
• Shah, Natubhai (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1938-1
• Shah, Pravin K, Jain Philosophy and Practice 1 (PDF), JAINA Education Committee, ISBN 8185568014