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Introduction *
me first Tirthe
This innad Bhagave
Jaina Darshana or the Jaina religion was revealed to mankind, in this cycle of time, by twentyfour Tirthamkaras? or Jinas", who lived at long intervals of time. Lord Rishabha, the first Tirthamkara is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam as an incarnation of Vishnu. This incarnation took place long long before Vamana Avatara. Shri Rama lived in the time of the twentieth Tirthamkara Shri Munisuvrata and Shri Krishna was a cousin of Shri Neminatha the twenty second sina. Shri Parsva Natha, the 23rd Tirthamkara lived about 250 years before Lord Mahavira, the Last and the 24th Tirthamkara, who flourished in Magadha from 599 B. C. to 527 B. C. Mahavira was an elder contemporary of Lord Buddha. From the Buddhistic
*In writing this Introduction I have drawn much matter from the articles on the different subjects relating to Jainism contributed by Prof. A. Chakravarti to The Jaina Gazette during the years 1921 to 1923.
1. A Tirthamkara is one who makes a Tirtha (sacred patb) by which the mundane souls can cross the ocean of Samsara abd reach the Heaven of Eternal Bliss.
2. A Jipa is ope who conquers the chemjes (karmas) of his Self and attains complcte freedom.
