SSC Selection Post 2022 PYQ — Question 33

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. 23.

• According to the Jaina tradition, Mahavira was preceded by 23 other teachers or Trithankaras.
• Although Mahavira is often mistakenly regarded as the founder of Jainism, followers of the faith believe that he was the 24th Tirthankara in a long lineage of spiritual teachers, not the originator. Prior to him, there were 23 Tirthankaras who upheld and preached the same principles. Among them, Parshvanatha—also known as Parshva—was the 23rd Tirthankara of the current time cycle.
• In Jain philosophy, a Tirthankara is seen as a spiritual guide who has attained perfect knowledge (Kevala Jnana) and serves as a pathfinder for others seeking liberation. 
• The first Tirthankara in Jain tradition is Rishabhanatha. His birth was marked by a series of auspicious dreams seen by his mother, one of which featured a bull (Rishabha), from which his name is derived.