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21. Lord Naminatha 22. Lord Neminatha 23. Lord Parshvanatha 24. Lord Mahavira
All 24 of them established the ford of Dharma in their respective times and showed people the true path of attaining liberation. They built a society with four pillars - monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen and established normative rules of behaviour. Each of the Tirthankaras based their teachings on the five poles of nonviolence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (achaurya), celibacy (brahmAachaarya ) and detachment from worldly possessions (aparigraha). At different times, the Tirthankaras' teachings are called by different names. But their gist remains the same.
The Tirthankaras' teachings are also known as • Nirgrantha Pravachana {teachings of those who are free from all biases} • Jina Vaanii {the speech of the supremely victorious ones
Arhat Dharma (the religion of the supremely venerable ones • Viitaraaga Dharma (the religion of the supremely detached ones • Jain Dharma (the Jain religion/the religion of the supremely victorious ones}
They are best known all over the world as the Jain religion.
Lord Mahavira
Jina Mahavira is the last Tirthankara of this descending time cycle. Currently, we live in his era. Hence, Jains believe that they are living under the spiritual leadership, discipline and guidance of Lord Mahavira.
Mahavira was born in 599 BCE (Monday, 27 March, 599 BCE) and attained liberation in 527 BCE. Gautama Buddha (founder of Buddhism), Lao Tse (founder of Taoism), Confucius (founder of Confucianism) and Socrates (one of the founders of Western philosophy) were his junior contemporaries. Mahavira was born on the 13th day of the bright half of the moon in the lunar month of Chaitra, 599 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Mahavira was born in a princely Kshatriya (warrior class} family in what is now known as Bihar. His father was King Siddhaartha and his mother was Queen Trishalaa. He was named 'Vardhamana? {thriving)
When he reached the age of 30, Prince Vardhamana decided to give up his homely life and took the five major vows of a Jain ascetic on the 10th day of the dark half of the moon in the lunar month of Kaartika, 569 years before the birth of Christ (Monday, 29 December, 569 BCE). Mahavira practised
