Marudeva jain demigod
Marudeva (मरुदेव) is a Jain demigod with two broad meanings, which differ by tradition:
- Digambara view (cosmology): Marudeva is the name of a class of kimpuruṣa deities (a type of vyantara god). In this scheme, Marudeva and his wife Śrīkāntā are described as the parents of Nābhi and Marudevī, and Marudeva himself is part of a early world-age pantheon. The kimpuruṣa are presented as golden-colored celestial beings. ( wisdomlib.org)
- Śvetāmbara view (mythic/parental figures): Marudevī is the mother of Rishabhanātha (Adinath), the first Tirthankara. In Śvetāmbara texts she is venerated as Jina-mātā and, in some accounts, the first liberated being in this era. (There are separate, sometimes contrasting, accounts about her enlightenment compared with Digambara traditions.) ( jainpedia.org, wisdomlib.org)
Other helpful notes:
- In some Jain narratives, Marudevi is also identified as the wife of Nabhi (Nābhi), the father of Rishabhanātha, and she is famous for the auspicious dreams that foretell his birth. This is part of the Marudevi/Nabhi story that leads to Rishabhanātha’s lineage. ( jainknowledge.com)
- In popular Jain Knowledge resources, you’ll also see references tying Marudevi to the mother of the first Tirthankara and the reverence around Nabhi and their family. ( jainknowledge.com)