Aarti of Lord Parshvanatha

Parshvanatha is the 23rd of the 24 Tirthankaras ('ford-makers') in Jainism — enlightened teachers who show the way across the ocean of worldly existence. He is traditionally placed in the 9th century BCE, making him the earliest Tirthankara with strong historical evidence, and he is often depicted with a serpent hood over his head.

The hoods of a cobra over Parshva's head are his most iconic symbol. According to the story, when the demon Kamatha attacked him during deep meditation, the serpent king Dharanendra and his consort Padmavati shielded him with their hoods — a moment directly referenced in verse 3 of this aarti.

Verse 2 places his birth in Varanasi (Kashi) to King Ashvasena and Queen Vama. Jain tradition says his mother had auspicious dreams before his birth, and he lived a princely life for 30 years before renouncing the world to become an ascetic.

Parshva is uniquely associated with four great vows (non-violence, truth, non-stealing, and non-possessiveness), while the 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira, added a fifth (celibacy). This difference is a well-known point of discussion in Jain history, though the exact relationship between the two teachers remains a matter of scholarly debate.

This is a Jain aarti — a devotional hymn of light-waving — modeled on the Hindu aarti tradition. The refrain 'Jai Parshva Jineshwar' frames each verse, and the closing signature 'Gyanasundar' (verse 5) is the composer's name, a common practice in devotional poetry to embed the author's identity.

The aarti's central act — waving a lamp before the idol — is a metaphor for dispelling inner darkness. Verse 4's 'light of knowledge and perception' (jnan-darshan) points to the Jain goal of perfect insight, which leads to liberation (moksha), here called the 'palace of freedom.'