Sumatinatha
5th Tirthankara in Jainism
Sumatinatha is venerated as the fifth tirthankara (ford-maker) of the current cosmic age (avasarpini). According to Jain universal history, he was born into the ancient Ikshvaku dynasty to King Megha (Meghaprabha) and Queen Mangala (Sumangala) in the revered city of Ayodhya. Following a period of royal life, traditional accounts describe him renouncing his kingdom to become an ascetic, eventually attaining omniscience (Kevala Jnana) beneath a priyangu or sala tree. He ultimately achieved spiritual liberation from the cycle of rebirth (moksha) on the sacred peaks of Mount Shikharji in modern-day Jharkhand.
In Jain art and iconography, Sumatinatha is traditionally depicted in a meditative posture with a golden physical complexion. He is distinctly identified by his unique iconographic emblem, the heron or red goose (krauncha), which is typically carved onto the pedestal of his idols.
As a foundational spiritual figure, Sumatinatha is actively venerated across the Indian subcontinent. Major architectural monuments and pilgrimage centers dedicated to his worship span multiple regions, including the highly renowned 15th-century Bhandasar Jain Temple in Bikaner, Rajasthan, and the ancient temple complex at Talaja, Bhavnagar in Gujarat.
Life and legends
According to Jain tradition, Sumatinatha is venerated as the fifth tirthankara of the present cosmic age (avasarpini). Jain universal history, which charts his soul's progression, states that in his previous incarnation, he existed as an Indra deity within the Jayanta Vimana heavenly realm.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Sumatinatha” as 5th Tirthankara in Jainism. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as 5th Tirthankara in Jainism. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2724631. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sumatinatha”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sumatinatha primary sources, Sumatinatha archive and Sumatinatha research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sumatinatha”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sumatinatha” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.