Tirthankara
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
A transliteration of Sanskrit तीर्थंकर (tīrthaṃkara, “ford-maker”), a compound of तीर्थ (tīrtha, “ford”) + कर (kara, “maker”), where "ford" refers to the Jain philosophical concept of samsara.
Noun edit
Tirthankara (plural Tirthankaras)
- (Jainism) A person who achieves enlightenment through asceticism and who then becomes a role-model teacher for those seeking spiritual guidance.