Previous Year Question

(a) Rishabhanath — Ashtapad: This pair is correct. In Jain tradition, the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha or Adinatha, is believed to have attained Nirvana on Mount Ashtapada.

(b) Vasupujya — Sammedashikhar: This pair is incorrect. The twelfth Tirthankara, Vasupujya, is traditionally believed to have attained Nirvana at Champapuri. Therefore, associating him with Sammedashikhar is incorrect.

(c) Neminath — Urjayanta: This pair is correct. The twenty-second Tirthankara, Neminatha, is believed to have attained Nirvana on Mount Girnar. In ancient epigraphic and geographical tradition, Girnar was also known as Urjayanta, Ujjayanta or Ujjayantadri. Therefore, the pairing Neminatha–Urjayanta is correct.

(d) Mahavira — Pavapuri: This pair is also correct. The twenty-fourth Tirthankara, Mahavira, attained Nirvana at Pavapuri. Pavapuri is one of the most important pilgrimage centres of Jainism.

According to Jain tradition, 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attained Nirvana at Sammedashikhar. The four exceptions are—Rishabhanatha at Ashtapada, Vasupujya at Champapuri, Neminatha at Girnar and Mahavira at Pavapuri. Therefore, Vasupujya–Sammedashikhar is the incorrectly matched pair in this question.