Dharaṇendra is the Yaksha or śāsana devatā of Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara in Jainism. He enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains. According to the Digambara Jain tradition, when Pārśvanātha was a prince, he saved two snakes that had been trapped in a log in the ritual fire of a sorcerer named Kamaṭha. Later, these snakes were reborn as Dharaṇendra, the lord (ruler) of the underworld Nāgaloka, and Padmavati. They then sheltered ascetic Pārśvanātha when he was harassed by Meghalin.