WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Jain tradition. According to Jain cosmology, 24 Tirthankaras have appeared on earth; Mahavira is the last tirthankara of Avasarpiṇī (the present time cycle). A tirthankara (ford-maker, saviour or spiritual teacher) signifies the founding of a tirtha, a passage across the sea of birth-and-death cycles.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mahavira (6th century bce) was the last Tirthankara to appear. According to tradition, his predecessor, Parshvanatha, lived about 250 years earlier; the other Tirthankaras mentioned in the Jain scriptures cannot be considered historical figures.

Detailed explanation-3: -In Jainism, there were twenty-four Tirthankaras. Lord Rishabha was the first Tirthankara and Lord Mahavira was the last Tirthankara. Mahavira wandered for twelve years to attain perfect knowledge later he was known as Jina(conqueror) and the followers of Mahavira were called Jains.

Detailed explanation-4: -Lord Mahavir was the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara of the Jain religion. According to Jain philosophy, all Tirthankaras were born as human beings but they have attained a state of perfection or enlightenment through meditation and self realization. They are the Gods of Jains.