Balabhadra

In Jainism, Balabhadra are among the sixty three śalākāpuruṣa that are said to grace every half cycle of time. According to Jain cosmology, sixty-three illustrious beings, called śalākāpuruṣas, are born on this earth in every Dukhama-sukhamā ara. They comprise twenty-four tīrthaṅkaras, twelve chakravartins, nine balabhadra, nine narayana, and nine pratinarayana.^[1] There life stories are said to be most inspiring.^[2] According to the Jain puranas, the Balabhadras lead an ideal Jain life.^[3]

Nine Balabhadras

According to the Digambaras nine Balabhadras of the present half cycle of time (avasarpini) are:

• Vijaya
• Acala
• Bhadra
• Suprabha
• Sudarśana
• Nandisena
• Nandimitra
• Rāma
• Balarama (elder brother of Krishna)

References

1. Joseph 1997, p. 178.
2. Jain, Vijay K. (2015), Acarya Samantabhadra's Svayambhustotra: Adoration of The Twenty-four Tirthankara, Vikalp Printers, p. 199, ISBN 9788190363976, Non-Copyright
3. Jain, Jagdish Chandra; Bhattacharyya, Narendra Nath (1994-01-01). Jainism and Prakrit in Ancient and Medieval India. p. 146. ISBN 9788173040511.

Sources

• Joseph, P. M. (1997), Jainism in South India, ISBN 9788185692234
• Jain, Dr. Pannalal (2008), Harivamsa Purana of Acharya Jinasena, Bharatiya Jnanapitha, ISBN 978-81-263-1548-2