According to Jain cosmological and philosophical traditions, who was the 23rd Tirthankara, preceding Mahavira?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Parsvanatha is historically acknowledged in Jain tradition as the 23rd Tirthankara, preceding Mahavira by approximately two and a half centuries and laying foundational ethical principles. Other early figures like Rishabhanatha were much earlier Tirthankaras, while Neminatha and Ajitanatha occupied different chronological positions in the Jain pantheon.