Rishabha

Rishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), also known as Rishabhadeva (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव, Ṛṣabhadeva), Rishabha (Devanagari: ऋषभ, Ṛṣabha) or Ikshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु, Ikṣvāku), is the legendary first tirthankara (Supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology and is called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. He was the spiritual successor of Sampratti Bhagwan, the last Tirthankara of the previous time cycle. He is also known as Ādinātha (lit. 'first Lord'), as well as Aadishvara (first Jina), Yugadideva (first deva of the yuga), Prathamarajeshwara (first God-king) and Nabheya (son of Nabhi). He is also known as Ikshvaku, establisher of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Shantinatha, Hinduism’s Bhagavata Purana reveres him as an avatar of Vishnu. Jains consider him as an entirely distinct, fully enlightened human being who attained salvation. Rishabhanatha is one of the five Tirthankaras that attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.