Śāntinātha () or Śānti is the sixteenth of Jainism in the present age (). According to Jain beliefs, he was one of the three to have also held the status of a (universal monarch) and a (being of supreme beauty) in the same lifetime. He is traditionally revered as the deity of peace () and is invoked by devotees to avert calamities and epidemics.
Jain texts describe his life as a transition from imperial sovereignty to total renunciation. Born in Hastinapur to King Vishvasena and Queen Aćira of the Ikshvaku dynasty, he is said to have ruled for 25,000 years. As a , traditional accounts state he possessed the "fourteen jewels" () and "nine treasures" (), symbolizing absolute material dominion, before renouncing his empire to become a Jain monk. After sixteen years of asceticism, he is believed to have attained (omniscience) and subsequently achieved (liberation) at Shikharji.
Along with Rishabhanatha, Neminatha, Pārśvanātha and Mahavira, Shantinatha is considered one of the five most worshipped in the Jain tradition. He is the central figure in the rituals, performed to bring peace and ward off negative karmic influences. His legacy is preserved in major literary works like the (c. 10th century) by the poet Ponna and in significant architectural monuments. Prominent sites dedicated to him include the UNESCO World Heritage Shantinatha temple, Khajuraho, the Shantinatha Temple, Deogarh, the colossal statues at Gopachal, and major temple complexes at Hastinapur and Sonagiri.
Legendary Biography According to Jain cosmology, Shantinatha is the 16th of the (the present descending time cycle). He holds a unique position in Jain universal history as one of the three beings to attain the triple status of , (Universal Monarch), and (Being of Supreme Beauty) within a single lifetime.
His successor, Kunthunatha, is said to have been born 1/2 after him.
Previous incarnations
Jain tradition holds that the soul of Shantinatha accumulated merit through a series of virtuous past lives before his final birth. Traditional accounts, such as Hemachandra's , describe his life as King Srisena, a benevolent ruler who had two wives, Abhinanditā and Śikhinanditā. Abhinanditā is described as the mother of his two sons Induṣeṇa and Binduṣeṇa. In next birth, he is described as being born as Yugalika in Uttar Kurukshetra and after that as a in heaven.
In next birth as Amitateja, prince of Arkakirti, who later became a Jain monk under the influence of Abhinandana. followed by birth as a heavenly in 10th heaven (20 life span) After that he was born as Aparajit Baldeva in East Mahavideha (life span of 84,00,000 ) and then as a heavenly in 12th heaven (22 life span). In the subsequent birth, he ruled as Vajrāyudha Chakri, the son of Kṣemaṅkara in the East Mahavideha region, where he eventually renounced his throne to become a Jain ascetic with his father becoming an . He is said to have been named Vajrāyudha as his mother, Lakṣmīvatī's, dreamed of a thunderbolt as one of the fourteen auspicious dreams indicating that he would become a (). After that he was born as a heavenly in heaven (25 life span).
His most significant previous incarnation was as King Megharath, son of Dhanarath in East Mahavideha. In a famous legend depicted frequently in Jain art, King Megharath demonstrated absolute compassion by saving a pigeon from a pursuing falcon (who was a deity named Sarupa testing his vow). He did this by slicing off his own flesh equal in weight to the bird to satisfy the falcon's hunger, symbolizing the ultimate commitment to . Following this life, he was reborn as a heavenly in heaven (33 life span) before descending for his final incarnation.
Birth and Early Life Shantinatha was born in the ancient capital of Hastinapur to King Vishvasena and Queen Aćira of the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth occurred on the 13th day of the dark half of the month. Tradition states that his mother saw the auspicious dreams (fourteen according to the tradition and sixteen according to the tradition) foretelling the birth of a .
He was named Shantinatha ("Lord of Peace") because his presence in the womb was believed to have pacified a raging epidemic and quelled all misery in the kingdom. Chronologically, he was born three (ocean-measured time units) less three-quarters after the fifteenth , Dharmanatha.
Reign as Before embarking on his spiritual conquest, Shantinatha achieved the zenith of material power. Standing 40 (approximately 120 feet) tall, he spent 25,000 years as a youth and ascended the throne at the age of 25,000. He ruled for 50,000 years, during which he conquered the six distinct divisions of the earth, establishing a global empire. He married a beautiful princess Yaśomatī.
As the fifth , canonical texts attribute to him the possession of the "14 jewels" () and "nine treasures" (). These assets included animate and inanimate symbols of sovereignty, such as the divine wheel (), the state elephants and the divine horses. His reign is traditionally characterized as a Golden Age of justice and is associated with the rituals, which are performed to ward off diseases, famine, and foreign invasions. During his time, an epidemic of epilepsy broke out and he helped to control it.
Renunciation and Omniscience
Despite possessing absolute material dominion, Shantinatha renounced his empire upon realizing the transient nature of worldly power. He adopted the life of a Jain monk, engaging in rigorous penance for sixteen years. He meditated under a nandi tree, abstaining from food and sleep, until he destroyed the (obscuring) . On the ninth bright day of the month of , he attained Kevala Jnana (omniscience).
After achieving he visited Somanasapur, and was offered first (food) by King Dharma Mitra and his wife.
Nirvana and moksha He is said to have lived 1 lakh () years and spent many years spreading his knowledge. On the 13th day of the dark half of the month Jyestha (May–June), he attained nirvana at Sammed Shikharji, known contemporaneously as the Parasnath Hills in northern Jharkhand.
The yaksha and yakshi of Shantinatha are Kimpurusha and Mahamanasi according to Digambara tradition and Garuda and Nirvani according to Śvētāmbara tradition.
Disciples According to Jain texts, Cakrayudha Svami was the leader of the Shantinatha disciples.
Legacy
Worship
Śhāntinātha being an idea of peace and tranquillity, it is believed that chanting the name Śhāntinātha averts calamities and epidemics and bestows welfare to worshippers. In the Śvetāmbara tradition, Nirvāṉi, the yakshi of Śhāntinātha, is also associated with Shantinatha as Śhānti-devī in prayers for peace. During the last rites, recitation of Namokar Mantra and hymns to the Jina and Śhāntinātha are performed.
Shanti Snaatra Puja is a special prayer for universal peace and the welfare of all living beings. During the prayer, offerings are made 27 or 108 times to Shantinatha. The Laghnu-Shanti-stavaa, compiled by Manadeva suri in the 7th century, is a hymn to Shantinatha full of tantric usage and identify Shantinatha as Siva, the Lord of Shanta. According to Jinaprabha Suri, the temples dedicated to Shantinatha existed in Kishkindha, Lanka and Trikuta.
According to Santistava compiled by Acharya Manadevasuri, an Acharya of the Śvetāmbara sect in the third century, mere recitation of Shantinatha's name negates all bad omens, brings peace and protects devotees from problems. Santistava is considered by Śvetāmbaras as one of the four most beautifully written stavans (hymn). Jinastotrāņi is a collection of hymn dedicated to Shantinatha along with Munisuvrata, Chandraprabha, Neminatha, Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha. Other Śvetāmbara hymns that are dedicated to Shantinatha are the Ajit-Shanti Stotra (a hymn dedicated to Shantinatha and the 2nd Tirthankara Ajitanatha) and the Bruhad-Shanti Stotra (a hymn dedicated to Shantinatha that is recited during the Snaatra Puja as per the Śvetāmbara tradition). During the Chaityavandan (a ritual that consists of a series of hymns in obeisance to a Tirthankara), lay-followers of the Śvetāmbara tradition recite a hymn Sakalkushalvalli which is dedicated to Shantinatha and the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanatha.
Samantabhadra's Svayambhustotra praises the twenty-four tirthankaras, and its eight shlokas (songs) adore Shantinatha. One such shloka reads:
Literature
The Shantinatha Charitra, by Acharya Ajitprabhasuri in 14th century, describes the life of the 16th Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha. This text is the oldest example of miniature painting and has been declared as a global treasure by UNESCO. * Santyastaka is a hymn in praise of Śāntinātha composed by Acharya Pujyapada in the fifth century. Acharya Hemachandra's Trishashti-Shalakapurush-Charitra describes the previous births as well as the final birth of Shantinatha in detail as per the Śvetāmbara tradition. Shantipurana, written around the 10th century by Sri Ponna, is considered to be one of the three gems of Kannada literature.
Ajitasanti or Ajita-Śhānti-stava composed by Acharya Nandisenasuri, a seventh century Jain monk, a famous Śvetāmbara hymn, has alternate verses praising Ajitnatha and Shantinatha. Mahapurusha Charitra, compiled by Merutunga in the 13th—14th centuries, talks about Shantinatha. Santikara was compiled by Munisundarasuri in the 15th century.
Iconography
Shantinatha is usually depicted in a sitting or standing meditative posture with the symbol of a deer or antelope beneath him. Every has a distinguishing emblem that allows worshippers to distinguish similar-looking idols of the . The deer or antelope emblem of Shantinath is usually carved below the legs of the . Like all , Shantinath is depicted with Shrivatsa and downcast eyes.
Ancient artifacts and idols Archaeological evidence of Shantinatha's veneration was recovered from the Akota Bronzes in Gujarat. Documented extensively by scholar Umakant Premanand Shah, this excavation yielded a rare bronze idol depicting Shantinatha in the style. This artifact provides crucial physical evidence of his medieval worship and the advanced metallurgical casting techniques of the post-Gupta era.
Colossal statues
In 2016, the tallest statue of Shantinatha, with a height of , was erected in Ajmer. The statue of Shantinath at Prachin Bada Mandir, Hastinapur and Shantinath Jinalaya, Shri Mahavirji. Aggalayya Gutta in Warangal has a image carved in 11th century CE. The statue of Shantinath at Bhojpur Jain Temple.
Aharji enshrines a idol installed in 1180 CE. Shantinatha basadi, Halebidu houses a idol. Naugaza Digambar Jain temple in Alwar has colossi dated 922 CE. The image at Shantinatha temple, Khajuraho and Shantinath Basadi, Chandragiri. The statue in Bahuriband and Pawagiri, built in the 12th century. Aggalayya Gutta is a historic Jain site situated on a hillock in Hanamkonda that feature image of Shantinatha.
Temples
Shantinatha is one of the five most devotionally revered in Jainism, alongside Rishabhanatha, Neminatha, Pārśvanātha, and Mahavira. Consequently, numerous temple complexes across India and within the Jain diaspora are dedicated to him.
Places of birth and liberation In northern and central India, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh is venerated as the traditional birthplace of Shantinatha, as well as the Kunthunatha and Aranatha. The Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur is a major pilgrimage site commemorating this connection.
Other temples