A report on Parshvanatha, Mahavira, Jainism and Neminatha

Parshvanatha, also known as Parshva and Parasnath, was the 23rd of 24 Tirthankaras (ford-makers or propagators of dharma) of Jainism.

Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhamana, was the 24th Tirthankara (supreme preacher) of Jainism.

Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second tirthankara (ford-maker) in Jainism.

He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanatha.

Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four Tirthankaras (supreme preachers of Dharma), with the first in the current time cycle being Rishabhadeva, whom the tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago; the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha, whom historians date to 9th century BCE; and the twenty-fourth tirthankara, Mahavira around 600 BCE.

Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four tirthankaras who attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.

The Jain sources place him between the 9th and 8th centuries BC whereas historians consider that he lived in the 8th or 7th century BC. Parshvanatha was born 273 years before Mahavira.

He was the spiritual successor of 22nd tirthankara Neminatha.

According to Jain texts, he was the shortest of the twenty-four tirthankaras; earlier arihants were believed to have been taller, with Neminatha or Aristanemi —the 22nd tirthankara, who lived for 1,000 years—said to have been sixty-five cubits (98feet) in height.

Out of the 24 Tirthankaras, Jains predominantly worship four: Mahāvīra, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Rishabhanatha.