Tirthankaras in 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.