Jain tradition casts its cosmic drama around the twenty-four Tīrthankaras, each a lighthouse of spiritual insight—and the Bhagavatī Sūtra shines a special spotlight on several of their lives and teachings.

• R̥ṣabhanātha (Ādinātha): The very first Jina anchors the entire narrative. His renunciation story, complete with Indra’s celestial homage at Mount Meru, sets the tone for detachment and compassion.
• Pārśvanātha (23rd Tīrthankara): A fan favorite, his tale of overcoming persecution and establishing four-fold vows often steals the show. The text dedicates rich poetic passages to his serpent‐king protector and highlights how he pioneered ahimsa in practice.
• Mahāvīra (24th Tīrthankara): No surprise that the last Jina, whose 2025 Mahāvīra Jayanti garnered headlines across India, commands significant space. Mahāvīra’s discourses on anekāntavāda (many-sided reality) and aparigraha (non-possession) echo through entire chapters, often in dialogue with celestial beings and ascetics.

Beyond those marquee names, the Bhagavatī Sūtra weaves in:

• Śītalanātha (10th), celebrated for his equanimity under royal tests
• Padmaprabhā and Chandraprabha (6th and 8th), whose luminous halos symbolize inner purity
• Vāsupūjya (12th), lauded for unshakable faith in tirtha-vrājas (pilgrimage sites)
• Śāntinātha (16th), model of conflict-resolution—an apt reminder in today’s fractious world.

These stories aren’t dusty relics but living fire: the same narratives that inspired last year’s Oxford–Cambridge Jain Studies conference to spotlight nonviolence in modern civic movements. Temples still host recitations, while online platforms stream commentaries that link ancient insights to climate action and ethical finance.

In every account, the Bhagavatī Sūtra stitches together divine apparitions, moral dilemmas and earth-shaking renunciations. The result is an encyclopedic mosaic, with each Tīrthankara’s journey offering fresh reflections—proof that teachings from millennia ago still light up today’s path.