page_title: Arihant (Jainism)
section_title: Tirthankaras
hierarchical_section_title: Arihant (Jainism) / Tirthankaras
caption_attribution_description: English: Vardhaman (Mahavira) sculpture at Keezhakuyilkudi, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India This is the crop of original image: Mahavira Keezhakuyilkudi
context_page_description: Arihant is a soul who has conquered inner passions such as attachment, anger, pride and greed. Having destroyed four inimical karmas, they realize pure self. Arihants are also called kevalins as they possess kevala jnana. An arihant is also called a jina. At the end of their life, arihants destroy remaining karmas and attain moksha and become siddhas. Arihantas have a body while siddhas are bodiless pure spirit. The Ṇamōkāra mantra, the fundamental prayer dedicated to Pañca-Parameṣṭhi, begins with Ṇamō arihantāṇaṁ, "obeisance to the arihants".
  Kevalins - omniscient beings - are said to be of two kinds
  Tirthankara kevalī: 24 human spiritual guides who after attaining omniscience teach the path to salvation.
  Sāmānya kevalī: Kevalins who are concerned with their own liberation.
  According to Jains, every soul has the potential to become an arihant. A soul which destroys all kashayas or inner enemies like anger, ego, deception, and greed, responsible for the perpetuation of ignorance, becomes an arihant.
context_section_description: Those arihants who re-establish the Jain faith are called tirthankaras. Tirthankaras revitalize the sangha, the fourfold order consisting of male saints (sādhus), female saints (sādhvis), male householders (śrāvaka) and female householders (srāvika).
  The first tirthankara of the current time cycle was Ṛṣabhanātha, and the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara was Mahavira, who lived from 599 BCE to 527 BCE.
  Jain texts mention forty-six attributes of arihants or tirthankaras. These attributes comprise four infinitudes (ananta chatushtaya), thirty-four miraculous happenings (atiśaya), and eight splendours (prātihārya).
  The eight splendours (prātihārya) are:
  aśokavrikśa – the Ashoka tree;
  siṃhāsana– bejeweled throne;
  chatra – three-tier canopy;
  bhāmadal – halo of unmatched luminance;
  divya dhvani – divine voice of the Lord without lip movement;
  puśpavarśā – shower of fragrant flowers;
  camara – waving of sixty-four majestic hand-fans; and
  dundubhi – dulcet sound of kettle-drums and other musical instruments.
caption: Image of Vardhaman Mahāvīra, the 24th and last tirthankara of present half time cycle
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