Rishabhanatha

Rishabhanatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras (“Ford-Makers,” i.e., saviours) of Jainism, a religion of India. His name comes from the series of 14 auspicious dreams that his mother had, in which a bull (rishabha) appeared, before his birth. He is also known as Adinatha (“Lord of the Beginning”) and is portrayed by Jain legend as having lived many millions of years ago.

Rishabhanatha is one of the most honoured of the Jain Tirthankaras, having been the first to preach the Jain faith in this age. Legend also credits him with teaching men the 72 accomplishments (including writing and arithmetic) and women the 64 crafts (including pottery, carpentry, and weaving). Jains believe that he had 100 sons, each of whom was 500 bow shots tall. The most famous of his sons was Bharata, the first chakravartin, or universal ruler. Rishabhanatha instituted marriage, the giving of alms, and the observance of funeral rites.

He was born in the city of Ayodhya, where the Hindu god Rama was born. Rishabhanatha attained moksha (release from earthly existence) on Mount Kailas in the Himalayas, the home of the Hindu god Shiva. In paintings of the Shvetambara (“White-Robed”) sect, he is always gold in colour; in paintings of the Digambara (“Sky-Clad,” i.e., naked) sect, he is yellow. His symbol is the bull.