24 Tirthankara of Jainism- List, Meaning of Jain Tirthankar

What is Tirthankara of Jainism?

A Jain Tirthankar is the teaching god or ‘Ford Maker’ in Jainism. 24 Tirthankaras were produced from each cosmic age in Jainism according to religious faith. The art of Tirthankaras is displayed as overseeing the body in a Kayotsarga pose.

• Another popular posture in Tirthankara’s art is the meditation pose, in which he is witnessed sitting in a cross-legged position on a lion’s throne.
• The difference between 24 Tirthankara of Jainism is based on symbolic colors or logos.
• 24 Tirthankar names are given by taking inspiration from their mother’s ambitions previous to their births.
• The first Jain Tirthankar was mentioned as Rishabhnath.
• The life narratives of 24 Tirthankaras are quoted in a spiritual text of Jains called Kalpasutra, assembled by the Digambara sect Jain Muni Bhadrabahu.

List of 24 Tirthankara of Jainism

Below are the 24 Tirthankara of Jainism, with their emblems, colors, and symbols, listed in the table. Get complete knowledge of the 24 Tirthankaras and the related pertinents.

Present cosmic age
24 Tirthankar Name	Jain Tirthankar Symbols/Emblems	24 Tirthankar Colours	Meaning
Rishabhanatha/Adinath	Bull	Golden	Lord First/Lord Bull
Ajith	Elephant	Golden	Invincible one
Shambhava	Horse	Golden	Auspicious
Abhinandana	Ape	Golden	Worship
Sumati	Heron	Golden	Wise
Padmaprabha	Lotus	Red	Lotus-Bright
Suparshva	Swastika	Golden	Good-sided
Chandraprabha	Moon	White	Moon-bright
Suvidi/Pushpadanta	Dolphin/Sea Dragon	White	Blossomed-toothed/Religious Duties
Shitala	Shrivatsa	Golden	Coolness
Shreyamsha	Rhinoceros	Golden	Good
Vasupujya	Buffalo	Red	Worship with donations of custody
Vimala	Boar	Golden	Clear
Ananta	Bear/Hawk	Golden	Endless
Dharma	Thunderbolt	Golden	Duty
Shanti	Deer/Antelope	Golden	Peace
Kunthu	Goat	Golden	Stack of Jewels
Ara	Nandyavarta/Fish	Golden	Time Division
Malli	Water Flask	Blue	Wrestler
Suvrata/Munisuvrata	Tortoise	Black	Of good oath
Nami/Nimin	Blue Lotus	Golden	Eye Winking/Bowing Down
Nemi/Arishtanemi	Conch Shell	Black	The edge of whose wheel is intact
Parshvanath	Snake	Green	Lord serpent
Vardhamana Mahavira	Lion	Golden	Wealthy hero

Future 24 Tirthankara of Jainism

The names of the next 24 Tirthankara of Jainism, which will be born in the Utsarpini age according to Jain Cosmology, are as follows:

Tirthankaras	Previous Human Birth	24 Jain Tirthankara Name
1	King Shrenika	Padmanabha
2	Mahavira’s uncle Suparshva	Surdev
3	King Kaunik’s son king Udayin	Suparshva
4	The ascetic Potti	Svamprabh
5	Śrāvaka Dridhayadha	Sarvanubhuti
6	Kartik’s Shreshti	Devshruti
7	Shravak Shamkha	Udaynath
8	Shravak Ananda	Pedhalputra
9	Shravak Sunand	Pottil
10	Sharavak Shatak	Shatak
11	Satyaki of Mahabharata	Suvrat
12	Krishna	Amam
13	Satyaki Rudhra	Shrinishkashay
14	Krishna’s brother Balbhadra also known as Balrama	Nishpulak
15	Shravika Sulsa	Nirmam
16	Krishna’s brother’s mother Rohini Devi	Chitragupta
17	Revati Gathapatni	Samadhinath
18	Sharavak Shattilak	Samvarnath
19	Rishi Dwipayan	Yashodhar
20	Karna of Mahabharata	Vijay
21	Nirgranthaputra or Mallanarada	Malladev
22	Shravak Ambadh	Devachandra
23	Shravak Amar	Anantvirya
24	Swati	Bhadrakat

Features of Tirthankara

The word ‘Tirth’ denotes the meaning of a pilgrimage site. The Tirthankara means the founder of the pilgrimage site. In Jainism, it is believed that the Tirthankara has attained enlightenment, and leads others toward the same.

• They are believed to have acquired emancipation and freedom from the birth and death cycles.
• They teach other people about the worth of human life and the path of liberation.
• They are the preachers and lead others who are seeking to attain Nirvana.

Also Read:

• Difference Between Jainism and Buddhism
• Sacred Book of Jainism

Important Tirthankaras of Jainism

24 Tirthankara of Jainism were supposed to be the common soul born as a human and acquired the states of a Tirthankar after intense practices of self-punishment, tranquility, and meditation. Below are some critical facts about the most recognized Tirthankaras.

Rishabhnath – First Tirthankara of Jainism

The first Tirthankara of Jainism, Rishabhnath, is assumed to exist even before the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization.

• Lord Vishnu is another name given to the 1st Jain Tirthankar in Bhagavata Purana.
• Rishabhnath is also mentioned in the Vedas.
• This Tirthankara of Jainism had several sons, including Bahubali and Bharat, and the world’s highest statue, The Gomateshwara Statue (Karnataka), is devoted to Bahubali.
• Rishabhnath’s script name is defined as Brahmi, which is assumed to be kept by taking inspiration from his daughter’s name.

Parsvanath – 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism

The 23rd Tirthankara was known as Parsvanath. It is understood that he lived about two centuries earlier than Vardhamana Mahavira.

• Parsvanath put forward the religion of Jainism, which Mahavira subsequently refreshed.
• His birthplace was in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh state, close to 817 BCE.
• He achieved Kaivalya in Jharkhand above Mount Sammeta (Parasnath).
• The tallest sculpture of Parsvanath is discovered in Navagraha Jain Temple (Karnataka).

Parsvnath established four-fold constraints according to the Svetambaras Sect or White-Clad Sect of Jainism; these were:

• Asteya
• Satya
• Ahimsa
• Aparigraha
• Mahavira included Brahmacharya.

Mahavira – 24th Tirthankara of Jainism

The name of the 24 Tirthankar in the Jain religion is Mahavira, Siddhartha, and Trishla’s son. He had taken birth in Bihar, India, and he was a modern-day Gautam Buddha.

• He quit his worldly occupancies at 30 and desired stringent life leading to Kevala Gnan.
• He achieved Kaivalya beneath a bush of Sal.
• The 24th Jain Tirthankar acquired Nirvana in Pavapuri of Bihar.
• The main teachings of Mahavira include Ahimsa, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha, Asetya, and Satya.

24 Tirthankara of Jainism for UPSC Exam

Candidates who desire to work as Government officials must cover the entire Syllabus of UPSC and read the NCERT books or study material on important subjects. 24 Tirthankara of Jainism UPSC comes under the Indian Art, Culture, Literature, and Architecture section of the UPSC Syllabus. Candidates can examine the Art and Culture Notes for UPSC preparation to learn the topic thoroughly.

The notes are beneficial for candidates studying for IAS, IPS, IFS, or any other Government competitive exams. Aspirants must be competently familiar with the Tirthankaras of Jainism topic for the UPSC Exam, which is a crucial part of the Syllabus.

24 Tirthankara of Jainism for UPSC Questions

Candidates can also study NCERT Books for UPSC to make a strong foundation before picking advanced UPSC books for Prelims and Mains preparation. The aspirants can practice the questions pertaining to 24 Tirthankara of Jainism.

Question: Consider the following pairs:

Tirthankara Symbol

• Shambhava – Snake
• Abhinandana – Ape
• Dharma – Thunderbolt
• Parshvanath – Horse

Select the correct pairs:

(a) 1 and 3

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1, 2, and 4

(d) All of the options

Answer: (b)

• Abhinandana – Ape
• Dharma – Thunderbolt
• Shambhava – Horse
• Parshvanath – Snake

Question: Which of the given statements is/are correct about Jainism?

• Its primary goal is to achieve liberation, for which no ritual is necessary.
• Lord Mahavira was the final of the 24 great teachers.

Select the correct options from below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c)

Its primary goal is to achieve liberation, for which no ritual is necessary. It is run by three principles known as the Three Jewels or Triratna

• Right Knowledge (Samyakjnana)
• Right Action (Samyak Charitra)
• Right Faith (Samyak Darshan)

Lord Mahavira was the final 24th great teacher who had earned complete understanding (Moksha) while living and imparting it to the masses.

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