Jains are followers of Jinas. Jinas are the conquerors or victors who have conquered their inner enemies of attachment, aversion, delusion, etc. The Jinas are the enlightened, perfected souls who have manifested the supreme omniscient knowledge called Kevala- Jnana. These Kevali-Jinas are also of two kinds, Viz., samanya-kevali and tirthankara-kevali.
While the samaya-kevalis are those Jinas, who are mainly wconcerned with their own salvation, the tirthankara-kevalis, are the Jinas who are after the attainment of kevala-jnana, - infinite knowledge. They are not only concerned with their own salvation but also with showing the path of liberation to all. These tirthankara-kevalis are generally known as Tirthankaras, because they are builders of the ford which leads human beings across the great ocean of existence. The term Tirthankara literally means: Tarati Samsara-maharnavain yena nimittena tat tirtham. Tirtham karoti iti tirthankarah. That is, the contrivance which helps us to cross the great ocean of worldly life, is known as tirtha and the person who makes the tirtha is termed as a Tirthankara. Hence the Tirthankaras are the personages who delineate the path of final liberation or emancipation of all living beings from a succession of births and deaths. All the Tirthankars laid emphasis on equality of all life forms. They also practiced and promoted compassion for all beings in the animal kingdom. This is reflected in the fact that seventeen out of the twenty four Tirthankars have animals or birds as their symbols.
As per Jaina tradition there were 24 such Tirthankaras, i.e., great Guides, in the past age, there are 24 in the present age, and there will be 24 in the future age. In this tradition the names of 24 Tirthankaras, i.e., Great Preachers, of the present age are:
Thus,the list of Tirthankaras begins with Rsabha and ends with Mahavira.
24 Tirthankaras
1. Rsabha-natha or Adi-natha,
2. Ajita-natha
3. Sambhava-natha
4. Abninandana-natha
5. Sumati-natha
6. Padma-prabha
7. Suparsva-natha
8. Chandra-prabha
9. Puspadanta or
Suvidhi-natha
10. Sitala-natha
11. Sreyamsa-natha
12. Vasupujya
13. Vimala-natha
14. Ananta-natha
15. Dharma-natha
16. Santi-natha
17. Kunthu-natha
18. Ara-natha
19. Malli-natha
20. Munisuvrata-natha
21. Nami-natha
22. Nemi-natha
23. Parsva-natha
24. Mahavira, Vardhamana or Sanmati