One of several oldest known religions in the world is Jainism. Most of its ancient past is unknown, or has passed down to others in a manner that makes it impossible to tell the difference between actual history and miraculous fiction. We are aware, though, that Mahavira, one of the great spiritual leaders of all time, handed on this old faith to everyone through his lofty intellectual brilliance. It's important to note right away that Mahavira is not really the originator of Jainism. He accomplished this by putting his predecessors' ideas and philosophies into a structured shape, preaching them effectively across his homeland, and establishing the groundwork of an organized Jain 'church' including monks, nuns, and laymen embracing his ideas. He established a social structure that has lasted until now. To know more, join online Gyan shala. Non-Jains are hardly persuaded by some of their stories, which are absolutely fantastic. Tirthankaras are attributed with extraordinarily long lifespans, immense size, and a variety of other amazing characteristics. We get some historical data about many of them, apart from the anecdotes (which are important if seen as instructive tales). Rsabha was the very first Tirthankara, and there are several non-Jain tales that seem to match in with the general elements of Jain tradition. Acharya Manatunga composed the Bhaktamar song or stotra which is a prominent Jain prayer, aged around a thousand years. The term bhaktamara combines two Sanskrit words, Bhakta (implies devotee), and Amar (implies immortal). The prayer was initiated to praise the first Tirthankara Rishabhanatha, containing the total of 48 verses. The last one carries the author’s name.
