Architect of Human Progress

Rishabha Dev pioneered civilisation, governance and agriculture—yet renounced it all to guide humanity on the path to liberation

- By DAAJI (KAMLESH D PATEL) and B RATHINASABAPATHY

The first Tirthankar was Rishabha Dev. He was also called Adinath and was one of the earliest kings of the Ikshvaku Dynasty, to which Lord Rama of the Ramayana also belonged.

Adinath means the 'First Master' or 'First Guru' in the Jain tradition. Apart from Jain scriptures, even the Vedas and the Buddhist scriptures mention his name as a great king. The Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda mention this great figure of ancient Indian spiritual history.

Dr S Radhakrishnan, Professor of Comparative Religions at Oxford University and a former President of India, mentioned that the Yajur Veda contains references to three Tirthankars: Rishabha Dev, Ajit Nath and Arishtanemi. Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, also known as Babuji, the author of Efficacy of Raj Yoga: In the Light of Sahaj Marg, talks of a sage who lived seventy-two generations before Raja Dashratha of the Surya Vamsa or Ikshvaku Dynasty and it was this sage who discovered Raja Yoga. However, he does not mention the name of that sage.

Rishabha Dev was born to King Nabhi and Queen Maru Devi in Ayodhya.