<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In Jainism, a tirthankara (Sanskrit: tīrthaṅkara; English: literally a' Ford - maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the dharma (righteous path). The word tirthankara signifies the founder of a tirtha, which is a fordable passage across the sea of interminable births and deaths, the saṃsāra . According to Jains, a tirthankara is a rare individual who has conquered the saṃsāra, the cycle of death and rebirth, on his own and made a path for others to follow . After understanding the true nature of the Self or soul, the Tīrthaṅkara attains Kevala Jnana (omniscience), and the first Tirthankara refounds Jainism . Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow the new teacher from saṃsāra to moksha (liberation). </P> <P> In Jain cosmology, the wheel of time is divided in two halves, Utsarpiṇī or ascending time cycle and avasarpiṇī, the descending time cycle (said to be current now). In each half of the cosmic time cycle, exactly twenty - four tirthankaras grace this part of the universe . There have been an infinite number of tirthankaras in the past time periods . The first tirthankara in this present time cycle was Rishabhanatha, who is credited for formulating and organising humans to live in a society harmoniously . The 24th and last tirthankara of present half - cycle was Mahavira (599--527 BC). History records the existence of Mahavira and his predecessor, Parshvanath, the twenty - third tirthankara . </P> <P> A tirthankara organises the sangha, a fourfold order of male and female monastics, srāvaka s (male followers) and śrāvikās (female followers). </P>

Who is considered the first tirthankar in jain religion