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Shantinath is our Sixteenth Tirthanakar of our present age(Avasarpini). In his previous life he was King Meghrath son of King Dhanrath of Pundarikini town in Mahavideha region. He was a very religious and pious king who use to keep himself busy mainly in mediataion and other religious practices. It is said that even the Gods tried to test him by disturbing his meditations. But his reverence and piety made them eventually bow to him. Later he took diksha from Arhat Dhanrath Acharya and became an ascetic. After rigorous spiritual penances of a number of lifetimes he had reached a very high level of spiritual enlightenment due to which he was reborn as a Tirthankar. He reincarnated in the Sarvarthasiddha dimension of the Gods and then later his soul descended into the womb of Queen Achira who was the wife of King Vishwasen of Ikshvaku dynasty. The queen dreamt of fourteen auspicious dreams which used to be dreamed by all tirthankar's mother.
The King realised that the soul in the womb would be a Tirthankar and both of them felt blessed for their good fortune. When the Queen was enceinte it is said that there was an epidemic in the Kingdom and thousands were affected by it. The King was troubled and vowed that he would neither eat nor drink as long as peace and normalcy did not return to his kingdom. The King of Gods moved by his plight appeared before him and reassured him that just a glance from the Queen would remove all suffering and will make all people well and good as she was carrying such a child in her womb which was going to be the next tithankar. The King and Queen then decided to roam through the whole kingdom. Wherever her glance fell, all were getting well and people's health was restored back. Time passed and the queen gave birth to a son on the thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Jyeshta(according to Jain calender). Due to the pacifying influence of the child in the entire kingdom when in the womb of his mother, he was named Shanti(peace). He was a bright and religious child right from his childhood. Soon he grew up and they got him married. The King then gave the responsibilties of the Kingdom to him and retired to the forest to pursue his spiritual disciplines. It is said that a Divine disc emerged in the armoury. This weapon was then worshipped traditionally after which on its own it began moving towards the East. Shantinath followed the weapon and most of the Kings in its way surrendered. Shantinath defeated the remaining other kings and became a Chakravarti. He then continued ruling his kingdom wisely.
After ruling for a number of years Shantinath began to get restless. And once in his meditations he saw his earlier lifes and realised the meaning of his this life and the goal of his birth. He developed a deep sense of detachment. He decided to hand over his Kingdom to his son Chakrayudh and embrace ascetism. Many members of the royal family and his subjects too followed him. He roamed from place to place practising his spiritual practices. Finally he reached Hastinapur and sitting under a Nandi tree on the bright half of the month of Paush(according to Jainism) he achieved Omniscience.
He continued preaching and teaching and even his son Chakrayudh took Diksha and embraced ascetism. He preached the principles of Jain philosophy. He explained the qualities of compassion and non violence and realise the true goal of life i.e self realisation. He finally attained Nirvana at the auspecious land Sammed Shikhar on the dark half of the month of Jyeshta(according to Jain calender).He was associated with Deer emblem.
