Salakapurusas are known as ‘illustrious beings’, ‘worthy persons’, ‘illustrious persons’ and are also called the trisastisalakapurusas (sixty three illustrious persons) according to Jain cosmology. Life stories and deeds of these sixty three worthy persons have been compiled in legendary or universal Jain history. It is said that stories of their lives have been most inspirational.
Salakapurusas is a Sanskrit term derived from two words Salaka and Purusa, where Salaka means stick or measurement and Purusa means great heroes. It is with the biographies of the Tirthankaras, that Jain universal history or the Salakapurusas tradition, started. Deeds of the Salakapurusas are chronicled in Jain texts including Digambara texts and Svetambara texts.
The Salakapurusas form twelve Chakravartin (universal emperors and monarchs of six continents), nine Prati-narayanas (anti-heroes), twenty four Tirthankars (Teaching Gods), nine Narayanas (warrior heroes) and nine Balabhadras (gentle heroes).
As per Jain cosmology, time is eternal and does not have any beginning. The cosmic wheel of time called the Kalachakra rotates continuously without end.
The wheel of time is segregated into two half-rotations called ascending time cycle (Utsarpini) and the descending time cycle (Avasarpini), with each of these cycles occurring one after the other without end. The period of increasing happiness and prosperity is called Utsarpini, while the period of increasing immorality and sorrow with declining time spans of the epochs is called Avasarpini. Religion and order is established in society, when these 63 illustrious people appear during each of these two time cycles. As per Jain cosmology, endless numbers of Kalachakras have passed and will continue to appear in the future too. Hence endless sets of these 63 illustrious or mighty persons appear, will continue to appear so that they establish religion and order in their each of their eras.
