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 Araahs (eras) 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: 1. 2. Bull Elephant

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

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.
Birthplace; Consecration Vinittanagari or Ayodhya; Asthapad or Kailash Parvat Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji Shravasti; Sammed Shikhari Ayodhya; Shikharji Ayodhya; Shikharji Sammed

Tirthankar

Heaven

Parents

Symbol

1. Lord Rishabha (Adinath)

Sarvarthasiddha Vijayavimana Uvarimagraiveka Jayantavimana Jayantavimana Uvarimagraiveka Madhyamagraiveka Vijayanta Anatadevaloka Achyutadevaloka Achyutadevaloka Pranatadevaloka Mahasaradevaloka Pranatadevaloka Vijayavimana

Nabhiraja & Marudevi Jitashatru & Vijayasena Jitari & Susena mata Sanvar raja & Siddhartha devi

Bull or Ox

2. Lord Ajitnath 3.Lord Sambhavnath 4. Lord Abhinandannath 5. Lord Sumatinath 6. Lord Padmaprabhu 7. Lord Suparshvanath 8. Lord Chandraprabhu 9. Lord Pushpadanta

Elephant Horse

Monkey Curlew or Red Goose Lotus Swastika Moon Crocodile Kalpa-vriksha (Digambara) Srivatsa (Swetambara) Rhinoceros

Sammed Meghaprabha & Mangala devi Dheeran & Sushima devi Pratishthita & Prithvi devi Mahasena raja & Sulakshana Sugriva raja & Rama devi Dridharatha & Sunanda devi

Kaushambi; Sammed Shikharji Varanasi; Sammed Shikharji Chandrapura; Sammed Shikharji Kakandi-nagari; Sammed Shikharji Mahliapura; Sammed Shikharji

10. Lord Sheetalnath

11. Lord Shreyansnath 12. Lord Vasupujya

Simhapuri; Sammed Vimal raja Shikharji & Vimla devi Champapuri; Mandargiri parvat, Champapuri Kampilapura; Sammed Shikharji Ayodhya; Sammed Shikharji Ratnapuri; Sammed Shikharji Vasupujya & Vijaya devi Suvratavarma & Shyama devi Harishena & Surjaa devi Bhanu raja & Suvrata devi

Buffalo

13. Lord Vimalnath

Pig Porcupine (Digambara) Falcon (Swetambara) Vajra

14. Lord Anantnath

15. Lord Dharmanath

16. Lord Shantinath

Sarvarthasiddha Sarvarthasiddha Sarvarthasiddha Jayantadevaloka Aparajitadevaloka Pranatadevaloka Aparajita Pranatadevaloka

Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji Gajapura or Hastinapuri; Sammed Shikharji Mithila; Sammed Shikharji Rajgriha; Sammed Shikharji Mithila; Sammed Shikharji Shauripura; Mount Girnar (Girnarji) Varanasi; Sammed Shikharji

Vishwasena & Aira Devi Shoor raja & Srimati devi Sudarshana raja & Mitra Devi Kumbha raja & Prajavati devi Sumatra raja & Shyama Devi Vijayaratha raja & Vipula devi Samudra vijaya & Shiva devi Ashwasena & Vama devi Siddhartha raja (Shreyansa or Yashasvin) & Trishala (Vidchadinna or Priyakarini)

Deer

17. Lord Kunthunath

He-Goat Fish (Digambara) Nandavrata (Swetambara) Urn (Kalasha) Tortoise Blue Water Lily or Blue Lotus Conch (Shankh)

18. Lord Arahnath

19. Lord Mallinath 20. Lord Munisuvrata 21. Lord Naminath

22. Lord Neminath

23. Lord Parshvanath

Snake (Naag)

24. Lord Mahaveera

Pranatadevaloka

Kundalpur or Chitrakuta; Pavapuri

Lion

Kalyanakas of 24 Tirthankaras | Present, Past and Future Tirthankaras

Feedback | Advertise with us | Refrences | Contributors | Get eJainism Toolbar