The word tirthankara signifies the founder of a tirtha, a fordable passage across saṃsāra, the sea of interminable births and deaths. Tirthankaras are variously called "Teaching … See more

Five auspicious events called Pañca kalyāṇaka mark every tirthankara's life:
1. Chyavana kalyāṇaka (conception): When a tirthankara's See more

Jainism postulates that time has no beginning or end. It moves like the wheel of a cart. The wheel of time is divided into two halves, Utsarpiṇī (ascending half cycle) and Avasarpiṇī (descending half cycle). 24 tirthankaras are born in each half of this cycle. In … See more

The first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha is mentioned in Hindu texts like the Rigveda, Vishnupurana, and Bhagwata Purana. The Yajurveda mentions … See more

Jain texts propound that a special type of karma, the tīrthaṅkara nama-karma, raises a soul to the supreme status of a Tīrthaṅkara. The Tattvartha Sutra, a major Jain text, lists 16 … See more

After attaining kevalajñāna, the tirthankara preaches the path to liberation in the samavasarana. According to Jain texts, devas (heavenly … See more

A tīrthaṅkara is represented either in the lotus position (Padmasana) or in the meditation Khadgasana (Kayotsarga) posture. The latter, which is similar to the military standing at attention, is a difficult posture to hold for long and is preferred by Jains because it … See more