Jainism became a prominent religion in India during the 6th century BC because of the effort of Vardhaman Mahavira. However, after the death of Mahavira, the popularity of Jainism declined gradually.

There were several reasons for the decline of Jainism in India as mentioned below : 

Severity of Jainism:

A severe code of conduct for life was difficult for the common people to follow. Jainism provided a path of extreme penance and fasting to attain salvation which could not be followed by common people. 

Decline in royal patronage:

Spread of Jainism due to the support of earlier kings like Bimbisara, Ajatasatru, Udayin could not continue later. Great kings like Asoka, Kanishka, and Harsha adopted and propagated Buddhism which decreased the popularity of Jainism.

Incomprehensible Philosophy:

General public could not understand the majority of Jaina philosophy like Jeeva, Ajeeva, Syadvada, Anekantwada etc. It was difficult for the people to believe that stone, water, tree, or earth possessed souls of their own.

Division into sects:

After Mahavira’s death, followers of jainism got separated into two sects:  ‘Digamvara’ and ‘Svetambara’. Code of conduct and beliefs were different for both sects in multiple aspects.

The two sects agreed on the basics of Jainism, but disagreed on:

• Details of the life of Mahavira
• The spiritual status of women
• Whether monks should wear clothes
• Rituals to be followed
• Which texts should be accepted as scripture

Digamvara monks believed in complete nudity whereas Svetamvara monks could wear white clothes. Digamvaras followed all five vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya) whereas Svetamvaras only followed four vows(They didn’t follow Brahmacharya).  

As per Digambara Philosophy, women could not achieve salvation without first being reborn as a man because women could not live a truly ascetic life as they had to possess clothes. Svetamvara believed that women could achieve salvation.

These differences created confusion among the masses and this worked as a deterrent in the spread of Jainism.

Rise and spread of Buddhism:

The emergence of Buddhism played a significant role in the decline of Jainism. 

Buddha’s teachings were quite simple to understand and easy to follow. Buddha rejected the path of extreme penance and hardship and advocated the ‘Middle Path which became more popular among the masses. 

Bhakti movement and the role of Hindu Saints:

The rise in popularity of Vaishnavism and Shaivism played a significant role in the decline of Jainism. Hindu saints like Nimbarka, Ramanuja, Sankaracharya strengthened the position of Hinduism which became detrimental for Jainism.

Tirthankara Meaning : 

• The word ‘Jain’ is derived from ‘Jina’ or ‘Jaina’ which means the ‘Conqueror’.
• According to Jain religious literature, a Tirthankara is an individual who has conquered the samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth, on their own, and has made a path for others to follow to achieve salvation.
• They are also called Arihantas, Jinas, Kevalins as they understood the true nature of the self and attained Kevala Jnana.

According to Jain scriptures, there were 24 tirthankaras. Kalpasutra is a religious scripture of Jains which mentions the life histories of 24 Tirthankaras. Every Tirthankara  is associated with a symbol.

Tirthankaras of Jainism list : 

The names of 24 Tirthankaras and their symbols are mentioned in the table below :

Now, let’s discuss about the some of the important Tirthankaras in detail:

Tirthankara Rishabhanatha:

• He was the first Tirthankara. 
• He is also known as ‘Adinatha’ which translates into ‘First Lord’, as well as ‘Adishwara’ (First Jina). His symbol was Bull.
• Adi puraṇa, a major Jain text provides information about the life of Rishabhanatha as well as his ten previous incarnations.
• He had many sons however, the most prominent among them is Bahubali. Gomateshwara Statue situated in Shravanabelagola in Karnataka is dedicated to Bahubali. It is the tallest statue in the world.

Tirthankara Neminatha:

• He is the 22nd Tirthankara.
• His symbol was Shankh.
• As per the Jain Scriptures, He was contemporary of Lord Krishna.

Tirthankara Parsvanath:

• Parsvanath was the 23rd Tirthankara.
• His symbol was Snake.
• He was born 273 years before Mahavira. He was the spiritual successor of 22nd Tirthankara Neminatha.
• He attained Kaivalya on Mount Sammeta (Parasnath) located in Jharkhand.
• Parsvnath founded first four restraints of Jainism:
  • Satya
  • Ahimsa
  • Asteya
  • Aparigraha 

The fifth one, ‘Brahmacharya’ was later added by Mahavira.

Tirthankara Mahavira / Vardhamana Mahavira:

• Vardhamana Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of the Jain tradition.
• His symbol was Lion. 
• He was born at Kundagrama near Vaishali.
• His father was Siddhartha who was a Kshatriya King from the Ikshvaku dynasty.
• His mother was Trisala who was sister of Chetaka, the king of Vaishali.
• He married Yasoda and gave birth to a daughter. 
• At the age of thirty he left the materialistic life and became an ascetic and wandered for twelve years. 
• In the 13th year of his penance, he attained the highest spiritual knowledge also called as ‘Kevala Jnana’ meaning supreme wisdom. Thereafter, he was called Mahavira and Jina. 
• He preached his doctrines for 30 years and died at the age of 72 at Pavapuri near Rajagriha.