Panch Kalyanaka

Panch Kalyanaka (Sanskrit: pan̄ca kalyāṇaka, "Five Auspicious Events") are the five chief auspicious events that are believed to occur in the life of tirthankara in Jainism. They are commemorated as part of many Jain rituals and festivals.

Kalyanaka

These auspicious life events are as below:

1. Cyavana kalyāṇaka: When the ātman (soul) of a tirthankara enter's their mother's womb.
2. Janma kalyāṇaka: Birth of the tirthankara. Snatra Puja is a ritual celebrating this event in which Indra does abhisheka on the tirthankara on Mount Meru.
3. Dīkṣā kalyāṇaka: When a tirthankara renounce all worldly possessions and becomes an ascetic.
4. Kēvalajñāna kalyāṇaka: The event when a tirthankara attains kēvalajñāna (absolute knowledge). A divine samavasarana (preaching hall) appears, from where the tirthankara delivers sermons and restores the Jain community and teachings.
5. Nirvāṇa kalyāṇaka: When a tirthankara leaves their mortal body, it is known as nirvana. It is followed by final liberation, moksha. A tirthankara is considered a Siddha after that.

Pancha Kalyanaka of Mahavira, folios from Kalpasutra, loose leaf manuscript, Patan, Gujarat. c. 1472
Cyavana kalyāṇaka  Janma kalyāṇaka  Dīkṣā kalyāṇaka  Kēvalajñāna kalyāṇaka  Nirvāṇa kalyāṇaka

Kalyanaka Dates of 24 Tirthankara

These dates are called Kalyanaka Tithi. All dates are considered according to Jain calendar known as Jain Panchang based on the Vira Nirvana Samvat, but they differ according to different sects of Jain tradition and sometimes different within the same tradition also.

Note: This list is according to Śvētāmbara tradition and months are according to the Gujarati calendar.

No.	Tirthankara	Chyavan Kalyanaka	Janma Kalyanaka	Diksha Kalyanaka	Kevala Jnana Kalyanaka	Nirvana Kalyanaka
1	Rishabha	Jeth Vad 4	Fagan Vad 8	Fagan Vad 8	Maha Vad 11	Posh Vad 13
2	Ajitanatha	Vaisakh Sud 13	Maha Sud 8	Maha Sud 9	Posh Sud 11	Chaitra Sud 5
3	Sambhavanatha	Fagan Sud 8	Magsar Sud 14	Magasar Sud 15	Asho Vad 5	Chaitra Sud 5
4	Abhinandananatha	Vaisakh Sud 4	Maha Sud 2	Maha Sud 12	Posh Sud 14	Vaisakh Sud 8
5	Sumatinatha	Shravan Sud 2	Vaisakh Sud 8	Vaisakh Sud 9	Chaitra Sud 11	Chaitra Sud 9
6	Padmaprabha	Posh Vad 6	Asho Vad 12	Asho Vad 13	Chaitra Sud 11	Chaitra Sud 9
7	Suparshvanatha	Shravan Vad 8	Jeth Sud 12	Jeth Sud 13	Maha Vad 6	Maha Vad 7
8	Chandraprabha	Fagan Vad 5	Magasar Vad 12	Magasar Vad 13	Maha Vad 7	Shravan Vad 7
9	Pushpadanta	Maha Vad 9	Kartak Vad 5	Kartak Vad 6	Kartak Sud 3	Bhadarva Sud 9
10	Shitalanatha	Chaitra Vad 6	Posh Vad 12	Posh Vad 13	Magasar Vad 14	Chaitra Vad 2
11	Shreyanasanatha	Vaisakh Vad 6	Maha Vad 12	Maha Vad 13	Posh Vad Amaas	Ashadh Vad 3
12	Vasupujya	Jeth Sud 9	Maha Vad 14	Maha Vad Amaas	Maha Sud 2	Asadh Sud 14
13	Vimalanatha	Vaisakh Sud 12	Maha Sud 3	Maha Sud 4	Posh Sud 6	Jeth Vad 7
14	Anantanatha	Asadh Vad 7	Chaitra Vad 13	Chaitra Vad 14	Chaitra Vad 14	Chaitra Sud 5
15	Dharmanatha	Vaisakh Sud 7	Maha Sud 3	Maha Sud 12	Posh sud 15	Jeth Sud 5
16	Shantinatha	Shravan Vad 7	Vaishakh Vad 13	Vaiskh Vad 14	Posh Sud 9	Vaisakh Vad 13
17	Kunthunatha	Asadh Vad 9	Chaitra Vad 14	Chaitra Vad 5	Chaitra Vad 5	Chaitra Vad 1
18	Aranatha	Fagan Sud 2	Magsar Sud 10	Magsar Sud 11	Kartik Sud 12	Magsar Sud 10
19	Māllīnātha	Fagan Sud 4	Magsar Sud 11	Magsar Sud 11	Magsar Sud 11	Fagan Sud 12
20	Munisuvrata	Shravan Sud 15	Vaisakh Vad 8	Fagan Sud 12	Shravan Vad 12	Vaisakh Vad 9
21	Naminatha	Asho Sud 15	Ashadh Vad 8	Jeth Vad 9	Magsar Sud 11	Chaitra Vad 10
22	Neminatha	Asho Vad 12	Shravan Sud 5	Shravan Sud 6	Bhadarva Vad Amaas	Ashadh Sud 8
23	Parshvanatha	Fagan Vad 4	Magsar Vad 10	Magsar Vad 11	Fagan Vad 4	Shravan Sud 8
24	Mahavira	Asadh Sud 6	Chaitra Sud 13	Kartak Vad 10	Vaisakh Sud 10	Asho Vad Amaas

Keys

• Dates are in short format. For example Kartik Sud 2 means Second day of Bright half(Sud) of Kartik month.
• ^ s: according to Śvētāmbara tradition
  
• ^ d: according to Digambara tradition
  
• ^ o: according to other sources
  

Kalyanaka Places of 24 Tirthankara

Kalyanaka Bhumi are places where any of these Kalyanaka took place in relation to 24 Tirthankara. They are considered places of pilgrimage by Jains. 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras' Nirvana kalyanaka took place at Shikharji.

They are as below:

No.	Tirthankara	Chyavan Kalyanaka	Janma Kalyanaka	Diksha Kalyanaka	Keval Gyan Kalyanaka	Nirvan Kalyanaka
1	Rishabha	Ayodhya			Purimtal ( now Prayag or Allahabad)	Ashtapad
2	Ajitnath	Ayodhya				Shikharji
3	Sambhavanath	Shravasti
4	Abhinandannath	Ayodhya
5	Sumatinath
6	Padmaprabha	Kausambi
7	Suparshvanath	Bhadaini, Varanasi
8	Chandraprabha	Chandrapuri
9	Suvidhinatha	Kakandi (now Khukhundu, Deoria district)
10	Sheetalnath	Bhadilpur or Bhadrikapuri
11	Shreyansanath	Sinhpuri, Varanasi
12	Vasupujya	Champapuri (now Bhagalpur)
13	Vimalnath	Kampilya				Shikharji
14	Anantnath	Ayodhya
15	Dharmanath	Ratnapuri
16	Shantinath	Hastinapur
17	Kunthunath
18	Aranath
19	Mallinath	Mithila
20	Munisuvrata	Rajgruhi
21	Nami Natha	Mithila
22	Neminatha	Sauripur		Girnar
23	Parshva	Varanasi				Shikharji
24	Mahavira	Kundalagrama (Kshatriya Kund) near Vaishali			Rijuvaluka	Pavapuri

Rituals

Main article: Jain rituals

Some rituals have close relationshhip with these five Kalyanakas.

Jain temple erection

Main article: Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha

When a new Jain Temple is erected, these Five Auspicious Life Events are celebrated known as Panch Kalyanak Pratishtha Mahotsava. It is followed by Anjana Shalaka, a ceremony to install new Tirthankara icon. An Acharya recite mantras related to Panch Kalyanaka followed by applying special paste to eyes of Tirthankara image. After these an icons of Tirthankara gets a status of real Tirthankara which can be worshipped by Jains. Acharya have to fast for three days before that.

Worship rituals

Panch Kalyanaka Puja is a ritual solemnizes all five Kalyanaka. It was narrated by Pandit Virvijay.

Snatra Puja is a ritual related to Janma Kalyanaka in which icons of Tirthankara are bathed symbolising Indra doing Abhisheka on Tirthankara on Mount Meru after birth of Tirthankara. It performed before many other rituals and before starting of new enterprises, birthdays.

Festivals

Main article: Jain festivals

Many religious festivals mark Kalyanaka of Tirthankara especially Janma and Nirvana Kalyanaka.

Mahavir Jayanti

Main article: Mahavir Jayanti

It marks Janma Kalyanak (birth) of 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira. Abhisheka of icons are done on this day and procession celebrating this event takes place in the cities. It is on 13th day of bright half of Chaitra month of Jain calendar (March/April).

Diwali

Main article: Diwali § Jainism

Diwali is a day of Nirvana Kalyanaka of 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira. He attained Moksha on this day in 527 BCE. It falls on fifteenth day of dark half of Ashwin (Aaso) month (September/October) which is also a last day of a year.

Pausha Dashmi

It is celebrated on 10th day of dark half of Pausha (Pushya) month of Hindu calendar(December/January). It marks Janma kalyanaka (birth) of 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanath. Three days fast is observed by many Jains.

Maun Agiyaras

Maun Agiyaras or Ekadashi marks Kalyanaka of many Tirthankaras. It is celebrated on 11th day of Magshar month of Jain calendar (October/November). On this day, complete silence is observed and fasting is kept. Meditation is also performed.

See also

• Pañca-Parameṣṭhi
• God in Jainism
• Jain symbols