  in jainism, a  is a person who has conquered samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth, and can provide a bridge for jains to follow them from samsara to moksha (liberation). according to scripture, that which helps one to cross samsara is a tÄ«rtha ("ford") and a person who fills that role is a tÄ«rthaá¹kara ("ford-maker"). twenty-four tÄ«rthaá¹karas grace each half of the cosmic time cycle. the 24th tÄ«rthaá¹kara of the current cycle was mahavira. == overview == right|thumb|rishabhadeva (left) and mahavira (right) the tÄ«rthaá¹karas' teachings form the basis for the jain canons. the inner knowledge of tÄ«rthaá¹kara is believed to be perfect and identical in every respect and their teachings do not contradict one another. however, the degree of elaboration varies according to the spiritual advancement and purity of the society during their period of leadership. the higher the spiritual advancement and purity of mind of the society, the lower the elaboration required. while tÄ«rthaá¹karas are documented and revered by jains, their grace is said to be available to living beings, regardless of religious orientation.flÃ¼gel, p. (2010). the jaina cult of relic stÅ«pas. numen: international review for the history of religions, 57(3/4), 389-504. doi:10.1163/156852710x501351 tÄ«rthaá¹karas dwell exclusively within the realm of their soul, and are entirely free of kashayas, inner passions, and personal desires. as a result of this, unlimited siddhis, or spiritual powers, are readily available to them â which they use exclusively for the spiritual elevation of living beings. through darÅana, divine vision, and deshna, divine speech, they grant their own state of kevalajÃ±ana, and moksha, final liberation to anyone seeking it sincerely. at the end of his human life-span, a tÄ«rthaá¹kara achieves siddha status, ending the cycle of infinite births and deaths. jainism postulates that time has no beginning or end. it moves like the wheel of a cart. jains believe that exactly twenty-four tÄ«rtha
Tirthankaras