________________
Praśamarati
APPENDIX MI
Concept of Tīrthankara
(Referred to in Verse No. 12) The Jain tradition believes that there have been and there shall be infinite cycles of time on this planet. Each cycle has two parts: one descending and the other ascending. These are so called, because there is, during its course, a continuous deterioration/ amelioration in all substances - including the physical, mental and sprititual aspects of human life; as well as the munificience and bounty of the natural wealth of this planet.
Each such half-cycle is divided into six parts called Ārā, which are of varying time lengths. The length of each cycle is far greater than what can be counted by the scale of "numbers of years”.
It is during the fourth Ārā of every descending half - cycle and the third Ārā of every ascending half - cycle that twenty-four Tīrthankaras reach Omniscience and then, they re-establish the Religion (aller).
Lord Mahāvīra is, for the Jains, the twenty-fourth and hence the last, Tīrthankara of the latest descending half-cycle, whose fourth Ārā ended some 2500 years ago. He was of course, preceded by, and shall be followed by an infinite such Tīrthankaras, during the course of the infinite time - cycles.
