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Part I. Origin
of the third era do people start feeling a shortage of basic necessities. Fear starts prevailing in people's hearts, and there is a feeling of discontent. The hardship and unhappiness go on increasing until the end of the sixth era. People have to work hard for their living. There is hatred and greediness towards others among living beings. This period, made up of the last three Ages, is known therefore as the Realm of Action (karma bhumi).
The helplessness, discontentment, and fear become intolerable. People everywhere seek for a way to overcome all these miseries. According to Jaina Scriptures, to provide the much-needed guidance, 63 super-human beings (salka purush) are born from the end of the third era to the end of the fourth era of regressive half-cycle. Out of this group the most distinguished and the most auspicious are the 24 Tirthankaras. The Tirthankaras are the supreme gods among humans, the saviors of mankind. They are known as Tirthankaras because they have shown a ford (from the word tirtha meaning ford) of righteousness and of mercy across the ocean of sufferings. It must be remembered that the Tirthankaras are not the founders of Jaina religion they are the re-establishers, reformers and teachers of the ancient faith.
The present Age in which we live is the fifth age of the regressive half-cycle. The first Tirthankara of our time was Lord Adinath also known as Rishabhdev, who was born at the end of the third era, a very long time ago and lived to an incredibly old age. He was a king and during his reign he saw the hardship of his people and the grim future. To help people face up to the misery of the future he established an organized system of government with law and order taught the people many arts and crafts and developed language and mathematics. Since then every time there was a decline in morals and conduct a new Tirthankara has been born.
