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Brief details about Tirathankars
Tirthankaras are special Siddhas (liberated souls) who has attained omniscience and guides the other souls to save them from the cycles of repeated earth existences (rebirth). Tirthankaras are just ordinary man, born as human, but through their intense practice of kindness, equanimity and meditation, he attains the state of a Tirthankara.
Thus, a Tirthankar is an individual who destroys attachment with all the earthly things and relations, he frees himself absolutely from ignorance, he repays all his previous and this birth's dues of karmas, he detaches himself from all the good and bad, he attains absolute knowledge about present, past, and future, and becomes an omniscient in the process. He becomes a Sidha and frees himself from the cycle of birth and re-birth.
Tirthankaras revitalize the Jain Sangh (four-fold Jain Order) consisting of Sadhus (male saints), Sadhvis (female saints), Shravaks (male householders), and Shravikas (female householders). During every half time cycle, twenty-four persons like us rise to the level of Tirthankara. Every time-span consist of 12 Araah’s (era’s) 1 to 6 in first half cycle and 6 to 1 in second half cycle. Jainism states time has no beginning or end. It moves like the wheel of a cart. There have been an infinite number of time cycles before our present era and there will be an infinite number of time cycles after this age. At the beginning of the twenty first century, we were approximately 2,530 years into the fifth era of the present half cycle i.e. Avasarpini time-span.
Thus, a Tirthankar is an individual who destroys attachment with all the earthly things and relations, he frees himself absolutely from ignorance, he repays all his previous and this birth's dues of karmas, he detaches himself from all the good and bad, he attains absolute knowledge about present, past, and future, and becomes an omniscient in the process. He becomes a Sidha and frees himself from the cycle of birth and re-birth.
Tirthankaras revitalize the Jain Sangh (four-fold Jain Order) consisting of Sadhus (male saints), Sadhvis (female saints), Shravaks (male householders), and Shravikas (female householders). During every half time cycle, twenty-four persons like us rise to the level of Tirthankara. Every time-span consist of 12 Araah’s (era’s) 1 to 6 in first half cycle and 6 to 1 in second half cycle. Jainism states time has no beginning or end. It moves like the wheel of a cart. There have been an infinite number of time cycles before our present era and there will be an infinite number of time cycles after this age. At the beginning of the twenty first century, we were approximately 2,530 years into the fifth era of the present half cycle i.e. Avasarpini time-span.
The 24 Tirthankaras are considered to be the creator of Jain religion. They are divine elements of Jainism. They have attained all the achievement of ultimate nature including the ultimate knowledge after making vigorous efforts. Their principles are for betterment and welfare of others. Their path is to provide total fearless life and that of non-violence and to distribute love and friendship. Their vision of life is very wide and they have no insistence for anything. Their way of life is for giving up possessive passion and being free from the karmas.
After achieving enlightenment, a Tirthankara shows others the path to enlightenment. The Tirthankara's religious teachings form the Jain canons. The inner knowledge of all Tirthankaras is perfect and identical in every respect, for the teachings of one Tirthankara do not contradict those of another. However, the degree of elaboration varies according to the spiritual advancement and purity of humans during that period. The higher the spiritual advancement and purity of mind, the lower the elaboration required.
At the end of his human life-span, a Tirthankara achieves liberation ('moksha' or 'nirvana'), ending the cycle of infinite births and deaths.
A Tithankara's mother have sixteen (fourteen according to Swetambara Jain Sect) auspicious dreams after her conception. These dreams are as following:
- Bull
- Elephant
- Lion
- Goddess Laxmi
- Garlands of Flowers
- Full Moon
- Sun
- Auspicious Banner
- Auspicious Urn
- Lake filled with Lotuses
- Milky White Sea
- Celestial Vehicle
- Heap of Gems
- Fire without Smoke
- Pair of Fish (According to Digambara Jain Sect only)
- Throne (According to Digambara Jain Sect only)
Below we are giving a brief introduction of all 24 Tirthankaras of the present time span i.e. Uttsarpini time-span.
| Tirthankar | Heaven | Birthplace; Consecration | Parents | Symbol |
| 1. Lord Rishabha (Adinath) | Sarvartha-siddha | Vinittanagari or Ayodhya; Asthapad or Kailash Parvat | Nabhiraja & Marudevi | Bull or Ox |
| 2. Lord Ajitnath | Vijaya-vimana | Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji | Jitashatru & Vijayasena | Elephant |
| 3.Lord Sambhavnath | Uvari-magraiveka | Shravasti; Sammed Shikhari | Jitari & Susena mata | Horse |
| 4. Lord Abhinandannath | Jayanta-vimana |
Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji
| Sanvar raja & Siddhartha devi | Monkey |
| 5. Lord Sumatinath | Jayanta-vimana |
Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji
| Meghaprabha & Mangala devi | Curlew or Red Goose |
| 6. Lord Padmaprabhu | Uvari-magraiveka | Kaushambi; Sammed Shikharji | Dheeran & Sushima devi | Lotus |
| 7. Lord Suparshvanath | Madhya-magraiveka | Varanasi; Sammed Shikharji | Pratishthita & Prithvi devi | Swastika |
| 8. Lord Chandraprabhu | Vijayanta | Chandrapura; Sammed Shikharji | Mahasena raja & Sulakshana | Moon |
| 9. Lord Pushpadanta | Anata-devaloka | Kakandi-nagari; Sammed Shikharji | Sugriva raja & Rama devi | Crocodile |
| 10. Lord Sheetalnath | Achyuta-devaloka | Mahliapura; Sammed Shikharji | Dridharatha & Sunanda devi | Kalpa-vriksha (Digambara) Srivatsa (Swetambara) |
| 11. Lord Shreyansnath | Achyuta-devaloka | Simhapuri; Sammed Shikharji | Vimal raja & Vimla devi | Rhinoceros |
| 12. Lord Vasupujya | Pranata-devaloka | Champapuri; Mandargiri parvat, Champapuri | Vasupujya & Vijaya devi | Buffalo |
| 13. Lord Vimalnath | Mahasara-devaloka | Kampilapura; Sammed Shikharji | Suvratavarma & Shyama devi | Pig |
| 14. Lord Anantnath | Pranata-devaloka | Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji | Harishena & Surjaa devi | Porcupine (Digambara) Falcon (Swetambara) |
| 15. Lord Dharmanath | Vijaya-vimana | Ratnapuri; Sammed Shikharji | Bhanu raja & Suvrata devi | Vajra |
| 16. Lord Shantinath | Sarvartha-siddha | Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji | Vishwasena & Aira Devi | Deer |
| 17. Lord Kunthunath | Sarvartha-siddha | Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji | Shoor raja & Srimati devi | He-Goat |
| 18. Lord Arahnath | Sarvartha-siddha | Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji | Sudarshana raja & Mitra Devi | Fish (Digambara) Nandavrata (Swetambara) |
| 19. Lord Mallinath | Jayanta-devaloka | Mithila; Sammed Shikharji | Kumbha raja & Prajavati devi | Urn (Kalasha) |
| 20. Lord Munisuvrata | Aparajita-devaloka | Rajgriha; Sammed Shikharji | Sumatra raja & Shyama Devi | Tortoise |
| 21. Lord Naminath | Pranata-devaloka | Mithila; Sammed Shikharji | Vijayaratha raja & Vipula devi | Blue Water Lily or Blue Lotus |
| 22. Lord Neminath | Aparajita | Shauripura; Mount Girnar (Girnarji) | Samudra vijaya & Shiva devi | Conch (Shankh) |
| 23. Lord Parshvanath | Pranata-devaloka | Varanasi; Sammed Shikharji | Ashwasena & Vama devi | Snake (Naag) |
| 24. Lord Mahaveera | Pranata-devaloka | Kundalpur or Chitrakuta; Pavapuri | Siddhartha raja (Shreyansa or Yashasvin) & Trishala (Vidchadinna or Priyakarini) | Lion |
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