संभवनाथ भगवान का परिचय
जम्बूद्वीप के पूर्व विदेहक्षेत्र में सीता नदी के उत्तर तट पर एक ‘कच्छ' नाम का देश है। उसके क्षेमपुर नगर में राजा विमलवाहन राज्य करता था। एक दिन वह किसी कारण से विरक्त होकर स्वयंप्रभ जिनेन्द्र के पास दीक्षा लेकर ग्यारह अंग श्रुत को पढ़कर उन्हीं भगवान के चरण सान्निध्य में सोलह कारण भावना द्वारा तीनों लोकों में क्षोभ उत्पन्न करने वाले तीर्थंकर नामकर्म का बंध कर लिया। संन्यासविधि से मरण कर प्रथम ग्रैवेयक के सुदर्शन विमान में तेतीस सागर की आयु वाला अहमिन्द्र देव हो गया।
गर्भ और जन्म
इसी जम्बूद्वीप के भरत क्षेत्र की श्रावस्ती नगरी के राजा दृढ़राज इक्ष्वाकुवंशीय, काश्यपगोत्रीय थे। उनकी रानी का नाम सुषेणा था। फाल्गुन शुक्ला अष्टमी के दिन, मृगशिरानक्षत्र में रानी ने पूर्वोक्त अहमिन्द्र को गर्भ में धारण किया और कार्तिक शुक्ला पौर्णमासी के दिन मृगशिरा नक्षत्र में तीन ज्ञानधारी पुत्र को जन्म दिया। इन्द्र ने पूर्वोक्त विधि से गर्भकल्याणक मनाया था, उस समय जन्मोत्सव करके ‘संभवनाथ' यह नाम रखा। इनकी आयु साठ लाख पूर्व की तथा ऊँचाई चार सौ धनुष थी।
तप
भगवान को राज्य सुख का अनुभव करते हुए जब चवालीस लाख पूर्व और चार पूर्वांग व्यतीत हो चुके,तब किसी दिन मेघों का विभ्रम देखने से उन्हें आत्मज्ञान प्राप्त हो गया। तब भगवान देवों द्वारा लाई गई ‘सिद्धार्था' पालकी में बैठकर सहेतुक वन में शाल्मली वृक्ष के नीचे जाकर एक हजार राजाओं के साथ दीक्षित हो गये। भगवान की प्रथम पारणा का लाभ श्रावस्ती के राजा सुरेन्द्रदत्त ने प्राप्त किया था।
केवलज्ञान और मोक्ष
संभवनाथ भगवान चौदह वर्ष तक छद्मस्थ अवस्था में मौन से तपश्चरण करते हुए दीक्षा वन में शाल्मली वृक्ष के नीचे कार्तिक कृष्ण चतुर्थी के दिन मृगशिर नक्षत्र में अनन्तचतुष्टय को प्राप्त कर केवली हो गये। इनके समवसरण में चारूषेण आदि एक सौ पाँच गणधर थे, दो लाख मुनि, धर्मार्या आदि तीन लाख बीस हजार आर्यिकाएँ, तीन लाख श्रावक, पाँच लाख श्राविकाएँ, असंख्यात देव-देवियाँ और संख्यात तिर्यंच थे। अन्त में जब आयु का एक माह अवशिष्ट रहा, तब उन्होंने सम्मेदाचल पर जाकर एक हजार राजाओं के साथ प्रतिमायोग धारण किया तथा चैत्रमास के शुक्लपक्ष की षष्ठी के दिन सूर्यास्त के समय मोक्षलक्ष्मी को प्राप्त किया। देवों द्वारा किए गए पंचकल्याणक महोत्सव को पूर्ववत् समझना चाहिए।
A long time after the Nirvana of Bhagavan Ajitnath, the city of Kshempuri in the Airavat area of Mahavideh was ruled by king Vipulvahan. He was a soft hearted and compassionate ruler who loved and cared for his subjects. Once when there was a devastating draught and the population was deprived even of a few drops of water, the king opened his grain yards for the public, his kitchen for the monks and ascetics and his treasury for the import of food grains. He instructed the caretaker of his personal kitchen that the doors of his kitchen should be open to all and sundry. All guests should be given priority over himself.
Whatever little is left should be served to him. If nothing is left he would be contented with the pleasure of serving his guests. During the drought there were many occasions when the king remained unfed and thirsty.
As a result of this sublime feeling of compassion, Vipulvahan acquired unique purity of soul and earned the Trithankr-nam-and-gotra-karma. Although, after the drought normalcy returned, the torture of the living world by the nature left a mark on Vipulvahan’s psyche. One day while he was standing on the roof top he witnessed dense rain clouds being scattered by wind. A feeling of intense detachment grew in him. He handed over his kingdom to his son and took Diksha from Svayamprabh Suri. After completing his age he reincarnated in the Anat dimension of gods.
From the Anat dimension, the being that was Vipulvahan descended into the womb of queen Sena Devi, wife of king Jitari of Shravasti. Queen Sena Devi saw fourteen (sixteen according to Digambara Jain Sect) auspicious dreams. On the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Margshrish, the queen gave birth to a healthy son.
While this being was still in the mother’s womb there were sufficient rains and abundant crop. One day when the king and queen were happily watching the lush green vegetation all around, from their roof top, the king said, "My dear! This time even the waste-land is filled with grain crop. It seems that all this that is impossible, has been made possible (Sambhav) due to the auspicious influence of the pious soul you carry in your womb. We shall call our son- Sambhav". So as decided the newly born son was named as Sambhavnath.
The little prince grew up in royal comfort but he hardly ever took more than cursory interest in the luxurious life style. At the appropriate age Sambhav Kumar was married and coronated. He was a king in real sense. He cared a lot for his people, gave them all the facilities, he looked very powerful king but at heart he was very detached. Once Sambhav Nath was sitting in deep meditation and his previous birth came in front of him as if a movie was being played on. He realized the real meaning of his birth and decided to take diksha. He decided to follow the path of truth, discipline, dedication, religion, peace, meditation. On the fifteenth day of the bright half of the month of Margshrish, while reciting ‘Namo Sidhanam’, he discarded all the worldly things attached with his mind, soul and body and went from place to place doing all the religious and spiritual activities.
Omniscience and Nirvana
After a fourteen year period of spiritual practices, he attained omniscience. Arhant Sambhavnath gave his first discourse on the ephemeral nature of the mundane existence. For a long period he worked for the spread of religion. He got Nirvana on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra at Sammed Shikharji.