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Jainism in a Global Perspective
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These Tīrtharkara-kevalis are generally known as Tīrthankaras, because they are builders of the ford which leads human beings across the great ocean of mundane-existence. The term Tīrthankara literally means :
tarati saṁsāra-mahārmavam yena nimittena tat tirtham, or tirtham karoti iti Tīrthankarah.
That is, the contrivance which helps us to cross the great ocean of worldly life is known as Tīrtha and the person who makes the Tīrtha is termed as a Tīrtharikara. Hence, the Tirtharikaras are the personages who delineate the path of final liberation or emancipation of all living beings from a succession of births and deaths.
As per Jaina tradition, in every descending and ascending cycle of time 24 Tīrthankaras take-place, there were 24 such Tirthankaras, i.e. the Great Spiritual Guides, in the past ascending era, there have been 24 in the present descending era and there will be 24 in the future ascending era. In Jaina tradition, the names of 24 Tīrthankaras, of the present descending era are : 1. Rşabhanātha or Ādinātha
2. Ajitanātha 3. Sambhavanātha
4. Abhinandananātha Sumatinātha
6. Padmaprabha 7. Supārsvanātha
8. Candraprabha 9. Puşpadanta or Suvidhinātha 10. Śitalanātha 11. Śreyāmsanātha
12. Vāsupūjya 13. Vimalanātha
14. Anantanātha 15. Dharmanātha
16. Śântinātha 17. Kunthunātha
18. Aranātha 19. Mallinātha
20. Muni Suvratanātha 21. Naminātha
22. Neminātha 23. Pārsvanātha
24. Mahāvira Vardhamana
or Sanmati.
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