Knowra Tirthankara Tirthankara A Tirthankara is a Jain spiritual teacher who conquers the cycle of rebirth and establishes a path to liberation. Jain tradition recognizes twenty-four Tirthankaras in the current age.
Jainism : An Indian religion centered on liberation through nonviolence, disciplined conduct, and spiritual knowledge. Tirthankaras are the exemplary teachers and spiritual authorities of Jainism.
Rishabhanatha : The first Tirthankara in Jain tradition, also known as Adinatha. His place at the beginning of the traditional sequence frames the lineage of Tirthankaras.
Kevala jnana : In Jainism, the perfect and complete knowledge attained when all knowledge-obscuring karma is destroyed. This omniscience marks a decisive stage in a Tirthankara's spiritual attainment.
Jain yaksha : A male attendant or protective deity associated with a Jain Tirthankara. Unlike a Tirthankara, a yaksha serves as an attendant rather than establishing the path to liberation.
Moksha (Jainism) : In Jainism, release of the soul from karma and the cycle of rebirth. Liberation is the goal a Tirthankara attains and shows others how to pursue.
Parshvanatha : The twenty-third Tirthankara, traditionally associated with a fourfold ethical restraint. His teachings and historical prominence connect the lineage to early Jain communities.
Arihant : A Jain being who has destroyed the four destructive kinds of karma but has not yet died. A Tirthankara teaches while embodied as an arihant, before final liberation at death.
Jain yakshi : A female attendant or protective deity associated with a Jain Tirthankara. A yakshi may accompany a Tirthankara in art but is not one of the twenty-four teachers.
Samsara : The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth found in several Indian religious traditions. A Tirthankara has crossed beyond the cycle from which Jain practice seeks release.
Mahavira : The twenty-fourth Tirthankara, whose teachings shaped the historical Jain community. He is the current age's final Tirthankara and the best-documented figure in the sequence.
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