Lord Shantinath was the sixteenth Jain Tirthankara of the current age, Avasarpini. As per Jain philosophy, he became a siddha, an enlightened soul which has demolished all of its karma. Shantinath was born to Emperor Viswasen Raja and Queen Achira Rani at Hastinapur in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date is on the thirteen day of the Jyest Krishna month of the Hindu calendar. The account of the earlier incarnations of Lord Shantinath signifies that this being had adopted the path of discipline that lead toward purity of soul many births before. Due to these qualities during his incarnations as Shrisen and Vajrayudh he was born as Meghrath, the son of Emperor Dhanrath of Pundarikini town in Purva Mahavideh area. He received much royal comforts but remained detached from them. Gradually as he grew up Emperor Dhanrath gave the kingdom to Meghrat and became an ascetic.
Emperor Meghrath ruled the kingdom for many years and looked after his subjects. He then, coronated his son and took Diksha or vow from Arhat Dhanrath. Due to his increasing purity in meditation even in the face of many afflictions, he earned the Tirthankar-nam-and-gotra-karma. Completing his age he reincarnated in the Sarvarthsiddha dimension of Gods. For one year he wandered as an ascetic and returned to the same jungle. Finally on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Paush, he achieved nirvana under a Nandi tree. His first discourse was on the subject of disciplining the senses. After a long period of wandering he came to Samtnetshikhar and there he propagated about true religious faith. There, along with nine hundred other monks, he observed a month long fasting that started his final meditation. On the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Jyeshta, Lord Shantinath achieved nirvana.
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