InJainism, aTirthankara (IAST:tīrthaṅkara;lit. 'ford-maker') is a saviour and supreme preacher of thedharma (righteous path).[1] The wordtirthankara signifies the founder of atirtha,[2] a fordable passage acrosssaṃsāra, the sea of interminable birth and death. According to Jains,tirthankaras are the supreme preachers ofdharma, who have conqueredsaṃsāra on their own and made a path for others to follow.[3] After understanding the true nature of the self or soul, theTīrthaṅkara attainskevala jnana (omniscience). A Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow them fromsaṃsāra tomoksha (liberation).[4]
InJain cosmology, the wheel of time is divided into two halves,Utsarpiṇī, the ascending time cycle, andavasarpiṇī, the descending time cycle (said to be current now). In each half of the cycle, exactly 24tirthankaras grace this part of the universe. There have been infinitely many tirthankaras in the past.[5] The firsttirthankara in the present cycle (Hunda Avsarpini) wasRishabhanatha, who is credited with formulating and organising humans to live in a society harmoniously. The 24th and lasttirthankara of the present half-cycle wasMahavira (599 BC–527 BC).[6][7][8] History records the existence of Mahavira and his predecessor,Parshvanatha, the 23rdtirthankara.[9]
Atirthankara organises thesangha, a fourfold order ofmale and female monastics,srāvakas (male followers) andśrāvikās (female followers).[10]
Thetirthankara's teachings form the basis for the Jaincanons. The inner knowledge oftirthankara is believed to be perfect and identical in every respect, and their teachings contain no contradictions. The degree of elaboration varies according to society's spiritual advancement and purity during their period of leadership. The higher the level of society's spiritual advancement and purity of mind, the lower the elaboration required.
While Jains document and reveretirthankaras, their grace is said to be available to all living beings regardless of religion.[11]
Tīrthaṅkaras arearihants who, after attainingkevala jñāna (pure infinite knowledge),[12] preach thedharma. AnArihant is also calledJina (victor), one who has conquered inner enemies such as anger, attachment, pride, and greed.[4] They dwell exclusively within the realm of their soul and are entirely free ofkashayas, inner passions, and personal desires. As a result of this, unlimitedsiddhis, or spiritual powers, are readily available to them, which they use exclusively for living beings' spiritual elevation. Throughdarśana, divine vision, anddeshna, divine speech, they help others attainkevalajñana andmoksha (final liberation).
The wordtirthankara signifies the founder of atirtha, a fordable passage acrosssaṃsāra, the sea of interminable births and deaths.[13][14][15][16]Tirthankaras are variously called "Teaching Gods", "Ford-Makers", "Crossing Makers", and "Makers of the River-Crossing".[17][16]
Academic and historical consensus broadly acceptsParshvanatha (c. 8th century BCE) andMahavira (c. 6th century BCE) as historical figures.[18][19] Parshvanatha, the 23rdtirthankara, is understood as a predecessor who preached the "fourfold restraint" (chaturyama dharma).[20][21] Mahavira is seen as a reformer and the final systematizer of Jain thought, who re-established theJain monastic and lay community based on Parshvanatha's teachings, notably addingcelibacy as the fifth great vow.[19]
The lives of the other 22tirthankaras are considered to be part of a sacred, cosmological history operating within vast, non-historical timeframes. Texts such as theKalpa Sutra detail their lives, which follow a formulaic pattern: birth into a royal family, a period of worldly life, renunciation of the world (diksha), a period of asceticism leading to omniscience (kevala jnana), and finally, final liberation (nirvana).
Rishabhanatha (or Adinatha), the firsttirthankara, holds a unique position. He is credited within the tradition as the founder of human civilization, teaching agriculture, law, and social order. While he is a hagiographical figure, some scholars have speculated on a pre-historical link. They point to the nude standing figures and the prominent "bull" motif found on seals from theIndus Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1300 BCE) as possible, though unproven, evidence of a proto-Jain or proto-Rishabha cult.
Jain texts propound that a special type ofkarma, thetīrthaṅkara nama-karma, raises a soul to the supreme status of aTīrthaṅkara. TheTattvartha Sutra, a major Jain text, lists 16 observances that lead to thebandha (bondage) of thiskarma:[22]
Five auspicious events calledPañca kalyāṇaka mark everytirthankara's life:[23]
After attainingkevalajñāna, thetirthankara preaches the path to liberation in thesamavasarana. According to Jain texts,devas (heavenly beings) erect the heavenly pavilion wheredevas, humans, and animals assemble to hear thetirthankara.[27] A samavasarana is a three-level structure. The lowest level, made of rajat (silver), is the parking space for vehicles. The second is the svarna (gold) level. All animals reside in the svarna level, while the highest level, made of precious gems, is reserved for various important figures, such as kings and their families, the devas and the ascetics. Humans and animals hear atirthankara's speech in their language. It is believed that during this speech, there is no unhappiness for miles around the site.[28]
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) andAvasarpiṇī (descending half cycle). 24tirthankaras are born in each half of this cycle. In Jain tradition, thetirthankaras were royal in their final lives, and Jain texts record details of those lives. Their clan and families are also among those recorded in legendary stories. According to Jain canons,Rishabhanatha, the firsttirthankara,[13] founded theIkshvaku dynasty,[29] from which 21 othertirthankaras rose over time. Twotirthankaras –Munisuvrata, the 20th, andNeminatha, the 22nd – belonged to theHarivamsa dynasty.[30]
In Jain tradition, the 20tirthankaras attainedmoksha on MountShikharji, in the present Indian state ofJharkhand.[31] Rishabhanatha attained nirvana on Mount Ashtāpada (Mount Kailash),Vasupujya inChampapuri,Bihar,Neminatha on MountGirnar,Gujarat, and Mahavira, the lasttirthankara, atPawapuri, near modernPatna. Twenty-one of thetirthankaras are said to have attainedmoksha in thekayotsarga (standing meditation posture), while Rishabhanatha, Neminatha, and Mahavira are said to have done so in thePadmasana (lotus position).[17]
)%2c_Parshvanatha%2c_Neminatha%2c_and_Mahavira)_LACMA_M.85.55_(1_of_4).jpg)
In chronological order, the names, emblems and colours of the 24tirthankaras of this age are:[1][32][33][34]
| No. | Name | Emblem | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabhanatha[35] (Adinatha) | Bull | Golden |
| 2 | Ajitanatha[35] | Elephant | Golden |
| 3 | Sambhavanatha[35] | Horse | Golden |
| 4 | Abhinandananatha[35] | Monkey | Golden |
| 5 | Sumatinatha[35] | Flamingo | Golden |
| 6 | Padmaprabha[35] | Padma | Red |
| 7 | Suparshvanatha[35] | Swastika | Green |
| 8 | Chandraprabha[35] | CrescentMoon | White |
| 9 | Pushpadanta (Suvidhinath)[35] | Crocodile orMakara | White |
| 10 | Shitalanatha[35] | Kalpavriksha according to the Digambara.Srivatsa according to Svetambara | Golden |
| 11 | Shreyanasanatha[35] | Rhinoceros | Golden |
| 12 | Vasupujya[35] | Buffalo | Red |
| 13 | Vimalanatha[35] | Boar | Golden |
| 14 | Anantanatha[35] | Porcupine according to theDigambara Falcon according to theŚvētāmbara | Golden |
| 15 | Dharmanatha[35] | Vajra | Golden |
| 16 | Shantinatha[35] | Antelope ordeer | Golden |
| 17 | Kunthunatha[35] | Goat | Golden |
| 18 | Aranatha[35] | Nandavarta orfish | Golden |
| 19 | Māllīnātha[35] | Kalasha | Blue |
| 20 | Munisuvrata[35] | Tortoise | Black/Dark Blue |
| 21 | Naminatha[35] | Blue lotus | Golden |
| 22 | Neminatha[35] | Shankha | Black/Dark Blue |
| 23 | Parshvanatha[35] | Snake | Green |
| 24 | Mahavira[35] | Lion | Golden |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
|---|
 |
Ethics Ethics of Jainism
|
Major sects |
The next 24tirthankaras, who will be born inutsarpinī age, are:
| No. | Name | Previous human birth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padmanabha | KingShrenika[36] |
| 2 | Surdev | Mahavira's uncle Suparshva |
| 3 | Suparshva | King Kaunik's son kingUdayin |
| 4 | Svamprabh | The ascetic Pottil |
| 5 | Sarvanubhuti | Śrāvaka Dridhayadha |
| 6 | Devshruti | Kartik's Shreshti |
| 7 | Udaynath | Shravak Shamkha |
| 8 | Pedhalputra | Shravak Ananda |
| 9 | Pottil | Shravak Sunand |
| 10 | Shatak | Sharavak Shatak |
| 11 | Suvrat | Satyaki of Mahabharata |
| 12 | Amam | Krishna |
| 13 | Shrinishkashay | Satyaki Rudhra |
| 14 | Nishpulak | Krishna's brother Balbhadra also known asBalrama |
| 15 | Nirmam | Shravika Sulsa |
| 16 | Chitragupta | Krishna's brother's motherRohini Devi |
| 17 | Samadhinath | Revati Gathapatni |
| 18 | Samvarnath | Sharavak Shattilak |
| 19 | Yashodhar | Rishi Dwipayan |
| 20 | Vijay | Karna ofMahabharata |
| 21 | Malladev | Nirgranthaputra or Mallanarada |
| 22 | Devachandra | Shravak Ambadh |
| 23 | Anantvirya | Shravak Amar |
| 24 | Bhadrakat | Swati |
A tīrthaṅkara is represented either in thelotus position (Padmasana) or in the meditation Khadgasana (Kayotsarga) posture.[37][38] The latter, which is similar to the militarystanding at attention, is a difficult posture to hold for long and is preferred by Jains because it minimizes the amount of the body in contact with the earth, and thus the risk to sentient creatures living in or on it. If seated, they are usually depicted seated with their legs crossed in front, the toes of one foot resting upon the knee of the other leg, and the right hand lying over the left in the lap.[1]
Tirthankara images have no distinctive facial features, clothing, or (mostly) hairstyles, and are differentiated based on the symbol or emblem (Lanchhana) belonging to eachtirthanakara exceptParshvanatha. Statues of Parshvanatha have a snake crown. The first Tirthankara,Rishabha, is identifiable by thelocks of hair falling on his shoulders. SometimesSuparshvanath is shown with a small snake-hood. The symbols are marked in the centre or the corner of the statue's pedestal. The Jain sectsDigambara andŚvetāmbara have different depictions of idols. Digambara images are naked without any ornamentation, whereas Śvetāmbara ones are clothed and decorated with temporary ornaments.[39] The images are often marked withSrivatsa on the chest andTilaka on the forehead.[40] Srivatsa is one of theashtamangala (auspicious symbols), which sometimes resemblesfleur-de-lis, anendless knot, a flower, or a diamond-shaped symbol.[41]
The bodies of tirthankara statues are exceptionally consistent throughout over 2,000 years of the historical record. The bodies are rather slight, with very wide shoulders and a narrow waist. Even more than is usual in Indian sculpture, the depiction takes relatively little interest in accurate depiction of musculature and bones but is interested in modeling outer surfaces as broad swelling forms. The ears are extremely elongated, alluding to the heavy earrings the figures wore in their early lives before they took the path to enlightenment, when most were wealthy, if not royal.
Sculptures with four heads are not uncommon in early sculpture, but unlike the comparable Hindu images, these represent four differenttirthanakaras, not four aspects of the same deity. Multiple extra arms are avoidedin tirthanakara images, though their attendants or guardians may have them.[42]
The firstTirthankara,Rishabhanatha is mentioned in Hindu texts like theRigveda,[43]Vishnupurana, andBhagwata Purana.[44] The Yajurveda mentions the name of three Tīrthaṅkaras: Ṛiṣhabha, Ajitnātha and Ariṣṭanemi.[45] The Bhāgavata Purāṇa includes legends about the Tirthankaras, particularly Rishabha.[46] Yoga Vasishta, Chapter 15 of Vairagya Khanda, Sloka 8, gives the saying ofRama:
I am not Rama. I have no desire for material things. Like Jina I want to establish peace within myself.[47]
Champat Rai Jain, a 20th-century Jain writer, claimed that the "Four and Twenty Elders" mentioned in theBook of Revelation (the final book of the ChristianBible) are "Twenty-fourTirthankaras".[48]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
{{citation}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Gods | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | |||||
| Branches |
| ||||
| Practices | |||||
| Literature | |||||
| Symbols | |||||
| Ascetics | |||||
| Scholars | |||||
| Community |
| ||||
| Jainism in |
| ||||
| Jainism and | |||||
| Dynasties and empires | |||||
| Related | |||||
| Lists | |||||
| Navboxes | |||||
