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Tirthankara
This word is very often used which means a divine sage who makes a bridge (tirtha) to cross over the ocean of pain suffering, misery and transmigratory existence. The word ‘Tithayara' is found in Uttradhyayan Sutra.153 Tirthankara Arishtanemi is titled and prayed as saviour of supreme lord of Dharma (Logannahe Damisare). 154 Tirthankara is reviver of the Jain faith. The tirtha is also understood as holy place. He establishes the 'Tirtha' or 'samgha' which is constituted of sadhu (monk), sadhvi (nuns), shravaka (layman), and shravika (lay woman). A Tirthankara or an Arhat has one thousand and eight names. e.g. vitaraga, sarvajna, Jina, kevali, buddha, mukta, etc. The texts Mahapurana by Acharya Jinasena and Gunabhadra and also Jinasahasranama composed by Asadhara, mention 1008 names of Jina.
The following twenty observations jointly or severally are the causes of Tirthankara-nama-karmals6 which leads the jiva to become a Tirthankara : (i) reverence to Arhantas, (ii) reverence to Siddhas, (iii) reverence to pravachana, (iv) reverence to preceptor or guru, (v) reverence to aged monks, (vi) reverence to highly learned ones, (vii) reverence to ascetics, (viii) constant use of knowledge, (ix) purity of right faith, (x) modesty towards knowledge, (xi) daily practice of six essential religious activities, (xii) observance of vows, (xiii) renouncing the world, (xiv) observing austerities, (xv) offerings to competent personage, (xvi) ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, (xvii) providing easement to all ascetic sages and adopt equanimity, (xviii) providing easements to fourfold religious order, (xix) faith or belief in scriptural texts, and (xx) spreading the pravachana.
The difference between ordinary kevali and a Tirthankara is that the Tirthankara preaches and propagates dharma, the law, and forms a community chaturvidh samgha of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen in order to show the right path, the path to
THE CONCEPT OF DIVINITY IN JAINISM
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