flourished 8th century BC
In Jainism , the 23rd Tirthankara , or saint, of the present age.
He founded a religious order and formulated four vows binding on its members (not to kill, steal, lie, or own property; a vow of celibacy was added later by Mahavira ). According to legend, Parshvanatha once saved a family of serpents trapped in a log in an ascetic's fire. One of the snakes, later reborn as Dharana, the lord of the underworld kingdom of nagas (snakes), sheltered Parshvanatha from a storm sent by an enemy demon. In sculpture and painting Parshvanatha is depicted with a canopy of snake hoods over his head.