Tirthankara

(noun)

A Jain term for a person who achieves enlightenment through asceticism and who then becomes a role model teacher for those seeking spiritual guidance.

Related Terms

Examples of Tirthankara in the following topics:

  • Jain Illustrated Manuscripts

    • The figures are shown in profile, as the full-face view was reserved for the Jain Tirthankaras.
    • Most of the Jain paintings and illustrations depict historical events, known as Panch Kalyanaka, from the life of the Tirthankaras.
    • Rishabha, the first Tirthankara, is usually depicted in either the lotus position or kayotsarga, the standing position.
    • He is distinguished from other Tirthankara by the long locks of hair falling to his shoulders.
    • A 15th century manuscript of Kalpasutra, a Jain text containing the biographies of the Tirthankaras, is particularly opulent.

  • Jain Sculpture

    • Popular themes and icons in Jain art include the Tirthankaras (Jain saviors, or human beings who achieved the ultimate spiritual salvation and served as role models for society), yakshas and yakshinis (supernatural male and female guardian deities), and holy symbols such as the lotus and the swastika, which symbolized peace and well-being.
    • Bronze images of the 23rd tirthankara, Pārśva, can be seen in the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, and in the Patna museum; these are dated to the 2nd century BCE.
    • This sculpture represents two Tirthankaras, or founders of Jainism.
    • On the left is Rishabha, who was the first of the 24 tirthankaras.

  • Jain Architecture

    • The caves bear inscriptions and sculptural friezes depicting Tirthankaras, elephants, women, and geese.
    • Built under Chalukya rule in Rajasthan between the 11th and 13th centuries CE, the Dilwara Temple complex consists of five ornately carved marble temples, each dedicated to a different Tirthankara.
    • The largest temple in the complex, the Vimal Vasahi Temple, was built in 1021 and is dedicated to the Tirthankara Rishabha.
    • This image shows the interior of a richly carved marble dome in the Dilwara Temple complex representing Jain Tirthankaras.

  • Jainism

    • The most important religious festival of Jainism is Mahavir Jayanti, which celebrates the birth of Mahavira—the 24th and last Tirthankara, or teaching god.