Shree Ajitnath 2nd Jain Tirthankar

Shree Ajitnath

2nd Jain Tirthankar

The second Tirthankara of current age has got the name Ajitnath. The Tirthankaras get recognition as intensely realized souls. They spiritually evolve through many numbers of births.
Emperor of Susima city Vimalvahan a great warrior in Mahavideha Area was Ajitnath in his previous life. In spite of having all the glory as a king, he preferred to live a simple life. He was a great King who in spite of his royal grandeur led a very pious life and later on took up austerity under the guidance of Arindam Suri. He practiced painstaking atonement and attained an esteemed exalted state. That karma gave him the credit of becoming a Tirthankara in his next birth.

A person who attains a glorious state during his lifetime due to his continuous saintly act becomes a Tirthankara. He purifies his mind, body, and soul via deep meditation and connects himself with God. Such Tirthankara can help individuals to overcome all hurdles in their worldly life and helps them attain salvation.
Per Jain’s belief about life, the Kalachakra (time cycle) keeps on moving without any end to it. The time cycle has two phases namely Utsarpini and Avsarpini. The growth phase Utsarpini will have the best progression in man’s life including health, wealth, education, ethics, and much more. On the other hand during the phase Avsarpini, he has to undergo a downtime moving from the best to the worst. Each Phase gets further divided into six periods and these periods do not make equal times.
Now in Jainism, they believe that the Avasarpini phase is traveling in its fifth Ara. This Ara will last for 21000 years, and after that, the sixth Ara will begin. Once sixth Ara completes 21000 years, Utsarpini First Ara will commence.
Hence that presumes the existence of an infinite set of 24 Tirthankaras. Every half time cycle will have one.
Birth and Childhood of Tirthankara Ajitnath
The second Tirthankara of current age has got the name Ajitnath. The Tirthankaras get recognition as intensely realized souls. They spiritually evolve through many numbers of births.
Emperor of Susima city Vimalvahan a great warrior in Mahavideha Area was Ajitnath in his previous life. In spite of having all the glory as a king, he preferred to live a simple life. He was a great King who in spite of his royal grandeur led a very pious life and later on took up austerity under the guidance of Arindam Suri. He practiced painstaking atonement and attained an esteemed exalted state. That karma gave him the credit of becoming a Tirthankara in his next birth.
King Jitshatru and Queen Vijaya Devi ruled Ayodhya (called as Vinita town). In the dreams of the Queen, she realized the beginning of a Tirthankara. The fourteen dreams confirmed the signs of giving birth to a Tirthankara.

A large, beautiful white coloured bull going inside her mouth.
A Lion
A flower garland
An Elephant with four tusks
Goddess Lakshmi on Lotus in a yogic posture.
The magnificent Sun
The full-moon immaculately glowing in the sky
An ocean of milk
An urn made of gold
A fluttering Flag
Gods vehicle moving in space
Lotus flowers spread across a pond
A bundle of gem stones
A fire but no smoke

Vaijayanti also witnessed all the fourteen dreams. Vaijayanti, wife of King Jitashatru’s younger brother Sumitra. This led them to consult the holy texts and understood that Queen Vijayadevi would have a baby who will become a Tirthankar. Vaijayanti will have a baby who will become the Emperor of the throne.
Beginning of the child formation in the mother’s womb that holiness started pervading across all places in the kingdom. King from the enemy country came forward for peace. Harmony started prevailing everywhere. Peace and tranquillity began to embrace the entire place.
During the “Sukla Paksham” the period between the New moon and Full moon, on the eighth day of Magh month, Ajit came to this world. The same night Vaijayanti gave birth to Sagar. Both of them grew in the kingdom happily and attained the age of marriage.
King Jitashatru decided to offer the throne to his brother Sumitra and thought of leading a spiritual life till his last breath. But Sumitra also aimed at the same and Ajit who did not accept Kingship because he always led a simple and detached life. Thus Prince Sagar agreed to become the King of Ayodhya.
Ajitnath – Ascetic Life
Ajitnath preferred a pious life from the childhood. He loves traveling deep into the thick forest and meditates peacefully. He went in search of peace and practiced rigorous penance. His atonement had the power of making all reptiles and animals sit placidly around him relaxing and enjoying the calmness. He created a gentle vibration always around him.
Nirvana
His deep meditation continued for twelve long years and finally on the eleventh day of the “Sukla Paksham” of the Paush month he accomplished Nirvana. Then he started preaching on the beliefs of Jainism to people. He gave speeches on many spiritual subjects and uplifted the people. People whole heartedly followed his path of renunciation.
During the same time, King Sagar conquered many countries and became a Chakravarti. King Megvahan and Vidyadhar Bhim ruled the demons, and they were King Sagar’s contemporaries.
Listening to Ajitnath’s spiritual discourse, Vidyadhar Bhim started getting detached and gave away his Lanka and Patal Lanka Empire to King Megvahan. He gave his knowledge, magic powers, and a divine necklace with many bright beads to King Megavahan. Later Ravana was born to the family of King Megvahan. King Megavahan was the first King of the demon family.
Final Instants
Along with thousands of monks, Ajitnath meditated at Sammetshikhar. On the fifth day of the “Sukla Paksham” of Chaitra month, he got completely liberated.
In the meantime, King Sagar married many queens and all his sixty thousand sons misused all their power. As a result of that King of Nag Kumars Jwalanprabh cursed them to burn into ashes. King Sagar lost all his children. Then King Sagar lost his peace and decided to give the empire to his eldest grandson Bhagiratha. He reached out to Ajitnath and finally got Diksha from him.
Conclusion
Bhagavan Ajitnath, a blessed soul, came into existence only because of kindness. He helped humanity to attain salvation and to overcome all struggles.
Ajitnath purified the entire environment through his breath and made the place holy with all his spiritual power. His cleanliness uplifted humanity from all miseries.
India is blessed to have such souls being in existence for centuries. Their redeeming act of the kindness offers peace to all

source
religioustalks.com

Family
Father:	Jitasatru
Mother:	Vijayadevi
Dynasty:	Ikshvaku
Places
Birth:	Ayodhya
Nirvana:	Sammed Shikhar
Attributes
Colour:	Golden
Symbol:	Elephant
Height:	450 dhanusha (1350 meters)
Age:	7,200,000 purva (508.03 Quintillion Years)
Attendant Gods
Yaksha:	Mahayaksha
Yaksini:	Ajita