24 TIRTHANKARAS

24 TIRTHANKARAS

Time rolls along in eternal cycles of rise and decline. Utsarpini is a "rising" era in which human morale and natural conditions improve over time. At the end of Utsarpini, begins Avasarpini, a "declining" era of the same length, in which human morale and virtues deteriorate. During the middle of every rising and declining era twenty-four souls become Tirthankaras. They are the humans like us who rise to that level. While accumulating different karmas, they also accumulate get a special karma called Tirthankar Nam Karma in the last 3rd of their life by performing one or more of the 20 special austerities. Tirthankar Nam Karma matures in the final life and leads the person to become a Tirthankara. After attaining omniscience, Tirthankara reorganize Jain religion to suit the changing times. Tirthankaras are also called Arihantas, Jinas, Kevalis, and Vitragi. Arihant means "destroyer of inner enemies," Jina means "victor of inner enemies," and vitragi means "one who does not have anymore attachment or hatred towards anyone." This means that they are totally detached from worldly aspects.. They have destroyed the four ghati karmas, namely Jnanavarniya Karma, Darshanavarniya Karma, Mohniya Karma, and Antaraya Karma. They are Kevaljnani meaning that they know everything everywhere that happened in the past, that is happening now, and that will happen in the future at the same time. They are also Kevaldarshani, meaning that they can see all that happened in the past, that is happening now, and that will happen in the future all at the same time. They reinstate the fourfold order of sadhus (monks), sadhvis (nuns), shravaks (male householders), and shravikas (female householders).

Jains celebrate five major events in the life of a Tirthankar. They are called Kalyanak (auspicious events). They are:

1. Chyavana Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul departs from its last life, and is conceived in the mother’s womb.
2. Janma Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul is born.
3. Diksha Kalyanak - This is the event when the Tirthankar's soul gives up all his/her worldly possessions and becames a monk/nun. (Digambar sect does not believe that women can become Tirthankar or be liberated.)
4. Kevaljnana Kalyanak - This is event when Tirthankar’s soul destroys the four ghati karmas completely and attains the Kevaljnana (absolute knowledge). Celestial angels set Samavsaran for Tirthankars from where he/she delivers the first sermon. This is the most important event for the entire Jain order as the Tirthankar reinstates Jain Sangh and preaches the Jain path of purification and liberation.
5. Nirvana Kalyanak - This event is when a Tirthankar’s soul is liberated from this worldly physical existence forever and becomes a Siddha. On this day, the Tirthankar’s soul destroys the four aghati karmas completely, and attains salvation, the state of eternal bliss.

There are other significant events also in the final life of a Tirthankars. When a Tirthankar’s soul is conceived, his/her mother has fourteen dreams (some texts mention sixteen dreams). A Tirthankar’s soul, while even in mother’s womb, has three types of knowledge, namely Matijnan, Shrutjnan, and Avadhijnan. One year before the time of renunciation, a group of celestial angels come to pay homage to the future Tirthankar. They remind him/her that the time to renounce the world is arriving. When a Tirthankar renounces the worldly life, he attains Manahparyavjnan, the fourth type of the knowledge, which enables him/her to know people’s thoughts.

LIST OF 24 TIRTHANKARS

NAME	FATHER	MOTHER	BIRTH PLACE
1) Rishabha (Adinath)	Nabhi-raja	Maru-Devi	Ayodhya
2) Ajitnath	Jita Satru	Vijaya-Devi	Ayodhya
3) Sambhavanath	Jitari	Sena	Sravasti
4) Abhinandannath	Samvara	Siddhartha	Ayodhya
5) Sumatinath	Megh-Prabha	Sumangala	Ayodhya
6) Padmabrabha	Dharana (Sidhara)	Susima	Kausambhi
7) Suparshvanath	Supratishtha	Prithvi	Kasi (Banaras)
8) Chandraprabha	Mahasena	Lakshmana	Chandrapuri
9) Pushpadanta	Sugriva	Rama (Supriya)	Kakandi
(Suvidhinatha)
10) Shiatnath	Dridharatha	Sunanda	Bhadrikapuri
11) Shreyansanath	Vishnu	Vishnudri (Vishna)	Simhapuri
12) Vasupujya	Vasupujya	Vijaya (jaya)	Champapuri
13) Vimalnath	Kritvarman	Suramya(Syama	Kampilya
14) Anantnath	Simhasena	Sarvavasa	Ayodhya
15) Dharmanath	Bhanu	Suvrata	Ratnapuri
16) Shantinath	Visvasena	Acira	Hastinapura
17) Kunthunath	Surya(Sura)	Sri-Devi	Hastinapura
18) Aranath	Sudarsana	Mitra(Devi	Hastinapura
19) Malinath	Kumbha	Rakshita	Mithilapuri
20) Munisuvrata	Sumitra	Padmavati	Kusagranagara
			(Raj-grih)
21) Nami Natha	Vijaya	Vapra (Vipra)	Mithilapuri (Mathura)
22) Neminatha	Samudravijaya	Sivadevi	Sauripura (Dvaraka)
23) Parsva Natha	Asvasena	Vama	Kasi (Banaras)
24) Mahavira (Vardhamana)	Siddharatha	Priyakarni (Trishala)	Kundapura

LIST OF 24 TIRTHANKARS

NAME	NUMBER OF	PLACE OF	EMBLEM
		GANADHARAS	DEATH
1) Rishabha (Adinath)	84	Mount Kailasa	Bull
2) Ajitnath	90	Mount Parasnath	Elephant
3) Sambhav Nath	105	Samet Sikhar	Horse
4) Abhinandan-Nath	103	Samet Sikhar	Monkey
5) Sumatinath	116	Samet Sikhar	Curlew
6) Padmaprabha	111	Samet Sikhar	Red Lotus
7) Suparshvanath	95	Samet Sikhar	Svastika
8) Chandra-Prabha	93	Samet Sikhar	Crescent
9) Pushpadanta	88	Samet Sikhar	Dolphin
(Suvidhinath)
10) Shitalnath	81	Samet Sikhar	Wishing Tree
11) Shreyamsanath	77	Samet Sikhar	Garuda
12) Vasupujya	66	Champapuri	Buffalo
13) Vimalnath	55	Mount Parasnath	Boar
14) Anantanath	50	Mount Parasnath	Bear
15) Dharmanath	43	Mount Parasnath	Vajardanda
16) Shantinath	36	Mount Parasnath	Deer
17) Kunthunath	35	Mount Parasnath	He Ggoat
18) Aranath	30	Mount Parasnath	Fish
19) Malinath	28	Mount Parasnath	Waterpot
20) Munisuvrata	18	Mount Parasnath	Tortoise
21) Naminath	17	Mount Parasnath	Blue Lotus
22) Neminath	11	Mount Girnar	Conch
23) Parshvanath	10	Mount Parasnath	Serpent
24) Mahavira (Vardhamana)	11	Pava Puri	Lion