अनन्तनाथ भगवान का परिचय
धातकीखंडद्वीप के पूर्व मेरू से उत्तर की ओर अरिष्टपुर नगर में पद्मरथ राजा राज्य करता था। किसी दिन उसने स्वयंप्रभ जिनेन्द्र के समीप जाकर वंदना-भक्ति आदि करके धर्मोपदेश सुना और विरक्त हो दीक्षा ले ली। ग्यारह अंगरूपी सागर का पारगामी होकर तीर्थंकर प्रकृति का बन्ध किया। अन्त में सल्लेखना से मरण कर अच्युत स्वर्ग के पुष्पोत्तर विमान में इन्द्रपद प्राप्त किया।
गर्भ और जन्म
इस जम्बूद्वीप के दक्षिण भारत की अयोध्या नगरी में इक्ष्वाकुवंशी सिंहसेन महाराज राज्य करते थे, उनकी महारानी का नाम जयश्यामा था। कार्तिक कृष्ण प्रतिपदा के दिन वह अच्युतेन्द्र रानी के गर्भ में अवतीर्ण हुआ। नव माह के बाद ज्येष्ठ कृष्ण द्वादशी के दिन पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ। इन्द्र ने पुत्र का नाम ‘अनन्तनाथ' रखा।
तप
भगवान को राज्य करते हुए पन्द्रह लाख वर्ष बीत गये, तब एक दिन उल्कापात देखकर भगवान विरक्त हो गये। भगवान देवों द्वारा निर्मित पालकी पर सवार होकर सहेतुक वन में गये तथा ज्येष्ठ कृष्ण द्वादशी के दिन एक हजार राजाओं के साथ दीक्षित हो गये।
केवलज्ञान और मोक्ष
छद्मस्थावस्था के दो वर्ष बीत जाने पर चैत्र कृष्ण अमावस्या के दिन केवलज्ञान उत्पन्न हो गया। अन्त में सम्मेदशिखर पर जाकर एक माह का योग निरोधकर छह हजार एक सौ मुनियों के साथ चैत्र कृष्ण अमावस्या के दिन परमपद को प्राप्त कर लिया।
In his previous incarnation Lord Anantnath's soul was King of Arishtha town in Dhatkikhand was well known for his beauty, personality and bravery. All beautiful ladies were his fan. But he had a bend for spiritual practices and took diksha from Acharya Chitraaksh. He had purified his soul to a high extends in his life. Because of this he reincarnated in the Pushpottar dimension of gods.
From Pushpotar dimensions of god, the soul of Lord Anantnath descended in the womb of Queen Suyasha Devi, wife of king Simhasen of Ayodhya. It was early in the morning and the entire Ayodhya kingdom was under the heavy showers of the rain. King Simhasena was sitting in his deep thoughts and thinking about endless questions which were coming in his mind. Queen Suyasha came behind and greeted the King. Her face also revealed as if she is also carrying lots of questions in her mind. On asking, queen told the king that early that morning she dreamt of fourteen (sixteen according to digambar jain beliefs) things and since then an endless series of questions are arising in her mind. King Simhasena told that it was a sure sort sign that she was going to give birth to a son who will be the light in dark, a savior, a ruler of hearts, a spiritual leader, a person having endless knowledge and endless qualities. On the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh (according to Hindu Calendar), queen Suyasha gave birth to this great divine power.
During the pregnancy the queen dreamt of a very long strands of beads whose ends were not visible – endless. The power of the king also increased manifolds during the period. Accordingly, the new born was named Anant (endless) Kumar.
Time passed by and small Anantnath became Young. One day king Simhasena thought of handling over the responsibilities of the kingdom to Anantnath and go on the path meditation and try to achieve Moksha. He did the same and disappeared in the jungles.
As a king King Anantnath was famous all over. Many kings came to him for advise and help. He use to solve various problems of many nations. But most of his time was spent in a place near sea shore in meditation.
One day while in his deep thoughts he saw everything of his past life and that was the time he felt as if they are requesting him to take Diksha and spread the light of knowledge everywhere and do some good to the humanity. The doors of his mind opened and he realized his true purpose to come on the Earth. For the entire year from that time, he distributed wealth among the people. One day, along with thousand other kings, he came out of the palace, removed his hair with his fist, uttered, “Namo Siddhanam” and became an ascetic.
Omniscience and Nirvana
After three years of spiritual practices he reached Ayodhya again and there under an Ashoka Tree he attained omniscience on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Vaishakh.
Bhagvan Anantnath got Nirvana at Sammed Shikharji on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra.