Shree SumatiNath 5th Jain Tirthankar

Shree SumatiNath
5th Jain Tirthankar

Tirthankaras are blessed souls who realize the difference between worldly life and Nirvana. They attain moksha and help individuals to get liberation. They are also called as arihantas. Arihantas means destroyer of enemies. Yes, every person has internal enemies namely deceit, greed, lust, ego, and pride. These arihantas not only destroy their internal enemies but also help others to get out of the birth and death life cycle. Crossing the ocean of samsara can happen by self-realization.
Jain scriptures state that the time cycle moves along the never-ending cycles of rising and falling phases. Utsarpini is the growing era. All conditions including human morale keep improving during this period. After Utsarpini ends, Avsarpini begins. Avsarpini, the falling phase during which everything declines from good to bad. At some stage in between the rising and falling era, 24 realized souls become Tirthankaras. The Utsarpini and Avsarpini keep on coming in a cycle.
Currently, the fifth Ara of the Avsarpini is continuing. This is one among the six unequal periods of Avsarpini era. Similarly, there are six Ara in Utsarpini. Every Ara will continue for roughly 21000 years.

Birth and Childhood of Sumatinath

During the previous birth, Sumatinath was born to King Vijayasen. He was called a Purushasimha, the prince of the town Shankhpur in Purva Mahavideha area. As a prince, he was leading a luxurious life. One time he was walking around the palace, and near the garden, he came across an Acharya by name Vinayanandan Dev. The Acharya was speaking to his supporters. Upon listening to the speech, Purushasimha got influenced and understood the very purpose of life.
He started feeling a sense of detachment from the worldly life. He practiced penance and followed the spiritual path to attain asceticism. As he has the blessings from his past karmas, he could easily get the spiritual enlightenment at a greater level. He took Diksha from Acharya Vinayanandan Dev and attained salvation.
The soul of Purushasimha came to the world as the Tirthankara in his next birth. His spirit entered into the womb of the blessed couples of Ayodhya. The King Meghrath and Queen Sumangala/Manglavati got the opportunity to become the parents of the holy soul. Queen was overwhelmed with the joy of knowing that she will give birth to a Tirthankara. Everyone celebrated that joyful moment.
During the time the baby was in the Queen’s womb, a small child and two women came to king’s court to seek justice. They both claimed to have married a wealthy merchant carrying out maritime business. He died, and his only child with loads of wealth needs care. Both the woman insisted that the child was hers. Both argued and fought for justice from the King. The boy could not handle this as he wanted both the woman. Both were a loving and caring woman according to the child. King stood speechless. He did not know how to resolve this issue. No one else came forward as a witness to this problem. So he decided to ask the Queen for a solution. He told her everything and the Queen agreed to talk to both the woman.
She called both to the court in the morning and told them that she would solve their problem. But, asked them to wait until she delivered her baby. Meanwhile, the child and the wealth will come under the guardianship of the kingdom. Both the woman must wait until then.
One woman immediately agreed to this order. But another woman said it could not happen. King became angry asked for the reason. She said that as a mother she could not stay away from her child. She also said that she would agree to leave the child and wealth to the other woman under the condition that she can meet the child often. Now, the Queen identified the birth mother. She at once asked the weeping mother to go with the child. The other woman who lied for want of wealth was sentenced to death.
All subjects including the King were astonished the way the Queen handled such a sensitive problem effortlessly. The fraud woman pleaded for pardon and Queen released her too.
After few days from this incident, the Queen gave birth to a son on the eighth day of the new moon of the Vaisakh month. The feeling of love and calmness prevailed all over the country. The King recognized that the intelligence of the sanctified soul in the Queen’s womb made her take the right decision about the sensitive issue between two women. Hence King decided to name his son Sumati (correct thinking and intelligent).
Time rolled on, and the boy grew up. He married a princess and started taking care of the throne. His father left the kingdom in search of peace and Mukti.

Sumatinath – Ascetic Life

Sumatinath carried out his responsibility as a king and cleverly ruled his subject. He gave them all wealth and happiness. As time passed by, he started feeling detached from the worldly life and gave away kingship. He left the kingdom and practiced severe spiritual penance. After several years of practicing penance, on the eleventh day of the new moon of the Chaitra month, he attained Nirvana. Priyangu tree was blessed as he got liberated under the tree.
From that time he began his journey of giving speeches on the mundane existence and the material belonging to the world. People started realizing after listening to his discourses.

Nirvana

He consistently focused on preaching Jainism to people. He obtained emancipation on the ninth day of the waxing moon of the Chaitra month at Sammed Shikar.

Conclusion

The purpose of the creation of Bhagavan Sumatinathji was to offer freedom for all the suffering humankind from series of death and birth. With enormous compassion and affection, he motivated people to work towards liberation. Attaining liberation was the ultimate goal of every humankind. He insisted them to set themselves free from want and attachment. The only detached soul can attain moksha.
He preached the Jain values to the people that included the Right Deed, Right Manner, and Right Knowledge. Many individuals got influenced by him and strived for their salvation from the sophisticated life.

Source religioustalks.com

Sacha Sumatinath

Family
Father:	Megharatha
Mother:	Sumangala
Dynasty:	Ikshvaku
Places
Birth:	Ayodhya
Nirvana:	Sammed Shikhar
Attributes
Colour:	Golden
Symbol:	Curlew
Height:	300 dhanusha (900 meters)
Age:	4,000,000 purva (282.24 Quintillion Years)
Attendant Gods
Yaksha:	Tumbru
Yaksini:	Mahakali