Lord Simandhar Swami: The Current Living Arihant Tirthankara who Grants Liberation
Lord Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankara, particularly an Arihant, who is present in Mahavideh Kshetra, another world within our universe. Due to the binding-intent from a previous birth, the Lord has a karmic obligation to perpetuate the moksha marg (path of final liberation from the cycle of birth and death) for the living beings of Earth.
Due to Param Pujya Dadashri’s direct connection with Swami through His subtle body, He could testify the Lord’s status as Arihant Tirthankara in Mahavideh Kshetra. He said, “People ask me who and where an Arihant is?” So, I tell them, “Bow down to Lord Simandhar Swami, as He is present in this universe. Today, He is Arihant. Therefore, bow and send obeisance to Him.” Express your obeisance in this way, “I bow to the Arihant, whoever and wherever He may be in the universe.”
By establishing a connection with Lord Simandhar Swami, one binds auspicious karmas that result in a future birth in Mahavideh Kshetra. There, one will experience His pratyaksh darshan (“in-person” devotional vision). As a result of pratyaksh darshan one instantly attains the spiritual stage of Keval Gnan (state of absolute Self-knowledge) and after completing any remaining karmas, attains final moksha.
For more information on how to establish and maintain a connection with the Arihant Tirthankara, visit the page Worshipping Lord Simandhar Swami.
Contact with the Living Arihant Tirthankara
The following Gnanis (embodiments of Self-knowledge) and saints reported personal contact with Lord Simandhar Swami. Each of them credits Him profoundly for their spiritual knowledge:
- Kundkunda Acharya
- Dada Bhagwan
- Shrimad Rajchandra
Shri Simandhar Swami in Mahavideh Kshetra
Our world, also called the Earth or Bharat Kshetra, is currently in the 5th Ara or Kalyug (a degraded time-cycle in which Tirthankaras do not incarnate). In contrast to Earth’s variable time-cycles, the 4th Ara or Satyug (a spiritually elevated time-cycle in which Tirthankaras incarnate) prevails in perpetuity in Mahavideh Kshetra, a world millions of miles away from Earth.
Mahavideh Kshetra is another world within our extended universe, located outside of our galaxy in the North-East direction. It is a world very similar to ours, except for the permanent prevalence of the 4th Ara, in which the congruence of mind, speech, and actions predominates in its inhabitants.
Param Pujya Dadashri explained that as one’s internal state becomes aligned with the spiritual qualities of the 4th Ara, birth in a location such as Mahavideh Kshetra occurs automatically. Due to spiritually favorable conditions of the 4th Ara, Tirthankaras are able to incarnate on Mahavideh Kshetra continuously.
At present, 20 Tirthankaras are present on Mahavideh Kshetra, Lord Simandhar Swami being one among them and residing in closest proximity to our planet. Also, due to a binding-intent from a previous birth, He carries a karmic obligation to serve the liberation of Bharat Kshetra’s living beings. For these reasons, His grace can be quickly achieved through His worship. Just simply knowing Lord Simandhar Swami’s existence qualifies one to receive His unconditional grace.
Life of Living God Shri Simandhar Swami
The Arihant Tirthankara Lord Simandhar Swami is currently 150,000 years old, and has a remaining lifespan of 125,000 years. His height is 500 dhanushya (approximately 1,500 feet), which is considered an average height for the people of Mahavideh Kshetra. His body is said to shine with a golden lesya (aura).
The Lord lives in the city of Pundarikgiri, the capital of Pushpakalavati, one of the 32 geographical divisions in Mahavideh. Pundarikgiri is ruled by King Shreyans, who is Lord Simandhar Swami’s father. His mother is Queen Satyaki. While pregnant, she had a sequence of 14 dreams indicating that she would give birth to a Tirthankara. The Lord was born with three complete aspects of Gnan (Self-knowledge):
- Mati Gnan, the knowledge of the five-sense realm
- Shruta Gnan, the knowledge of all forms of communication
- Avadhi Gnan, the clairvoyant knowledge with limitation
As a young adult, He married Rukamani Devi. Later in life, the Lord took diksha (initiation of renunciation from worldly life). At the time of diksha, He attained the fourth complete aspect of Self-knowledge, Manahparyaya Gnan, the knowledge of - and the ability to read - all phases of others’ mind. After spending 1,000 years as a sadhu (ascetic), Lord Simandhar Swami’s ghati karmas (Soul-restricting karmas) got exhausted, and He attained Keval Gnan. Today, surrounding the Lord are:
- 84 Ganadhar (prime disciples)
- 1 million Keval Gnanis (one who have attained Keval Gnan)
- 10 million Sadhu (male ascetics)
- 10 million Sadhvi (female ascetics)
- 10 million Mumukshu (spiritual seekers)
- 200 million Shravak (male devotees)
- 200 million Shravika (female devotees)
Together, these beings serve the Lord’s spiritual mission of unconditionally assisting living beings on the path to moksha. This mission is offered additional spiritual protection by God Chandrayan Yakshadev (Shashan Dev, the divine male protector) and Goddess Panchanguli Yakshinidevi (Shashan Devi, the divine female protector).
Worshipping Lord Simandhar Swami
Gnanis explain that, after knowing about a living Arihant Tirthankara, if devotion towards Him is cultivated through worship, one will eventually experience pratyaksh darshan (“in-person” devotional vision), and thereafter, attain Keval Gnan and moksha.
Pujya Niruma said, “As one’s devotion to Lord Simandhar Swami increases, so does the connection with Him. Eventually, this bond becomes so tight that one reaches the feet of Lord Simandhar Swami and becomes liberated forever.”
Param Pujya Dadashri explained how to establish a connection with Simandhar Swami:
“He is not here on our planet, but in another location in this universe where human beings cannot go with their physical bodies. You need a medium through which you can make a connection with Lord Simandhar Swami. I have a natural connection with Him, and the entire world can benefit from this. I have such a good relationship with Lord Simandhar Swami that if you do His darshan as instructed, it will reach all the way to Him [in Mahavideh Kshetra].”
Param Pujya Dadashri offered the following suggestions for worshipping Simandhar Swami:
- Invoke the Lord with the words, “With the live presence of 'Gnani Purush Dada Bhagwan' (pure Soul within) as my witness, with utmost reverence and devotion, I bow to Tirthankara Lord 'Shri Simandhar Swami' who currently lives in Mahavideh world.” This establishes your own direct connection via Param Pujya Dadashri’s continuous connection with the Lord. Doing so between 4 and 6 AM is ideal, as this is the time when the influence of Satyug predominates in nature, even in the midst of Kalyug. Further, when you say so by making Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan your witness during this time, your words reach the Lord faster.
- Request His grace for spiritual progress and not for worldly gain, through prayers.
Param Pujya Dadashri said, “If you remain close to Lord Simandhar Swami, even if you sit by His idol, it will help. It is darshan of the One who is the embodiment of moksha - One who has a physical body but whose essence is moksha (liberation). This will yield wonderful results.”
Heaven-On-Earth
Param Pujya Dadashri affirmed that when Simandhar Swami’s idol takes residence in every home, when He is worshipped with deep reverence, when His aarti is sung with devotion in every home, and when His temples are constructed all over the world, heaven-on-Earth will prevail.