Parshvanatha

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Parshvanatha

(flourished 8th century BC) In Jainism, the 23rd Tirthankara, or saint, of the present age. He founded a religious order and formulated four vows binding on its members (not to kill, steal, lie, or own property; a vow of celibacy was added later by Mahavira). According to legend, Parshvanatha once saved a family of serpents trapped in a log in an ascetic's fire. One of the snakes, later reborn as Dharana, the lord of the underworld kingdom of nagas (snakes), sheltered Parshvanatha from a storm sent by an enemy demon. In sculpture and painting Parshvanatha is depicted with a canopy of snake hoods over his head.

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