Article: Munisuvrata


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Contributed by Jasmine Kelly

Munisuvratanātha or Lord Munisuvrata is the 20th of the 24 Jinas of the present cycle of time.

The word Jina means ‘victor’ in Sanskrit. A Jina is an enlightened human being who has triumphed over karma through practising extreme asceticism and teaches the way to achieve liberation. A Jina is also called a Tīrthaṃkara or ‘ford-maker’ in Sanskrit – that is, one who has founded a community after reaching omniscience.

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Story and images

This detail of a manuscript painting shows the universal gathering – samavasaraṇa. When a Jina reaches omniscience, he sits in a samavasaraṇa the gods have built for him. The term is also used for the gathering of animals, humans and gods that listen.

An omniscient Jina preaches
Image by British Library © CC0 1.0 (Creative Commons Public Domain)

There is no historical evidence of Munisuvrata’s existence but traditional writings recount his life as following the usual career of a Jina. Tradition holds that this Jina was born in Kuśagranagara and achieved liberation on Mount Sammeta, also known as Pārasnātha Hill.

Munisuvrata’s symbolic colour is black and his emblem is a tortoise.

Like all Jinas, Munisuvrata has a pair of spiritual attendants, often shown in art. His yakṣa is Varuṇa. The sect of the Digambaras calls his yakṣī Bhahurūpiṇī while the Śvetāmbaras name her Naradattā.

  • An omniscient Jina preaches

Reading

Historical Dictionary of Jainism
Kristi L. Wiley
Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements series; series editor Jon Woronoff; volume 53
Scarecrow Press; Maryland, USA; 2004

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