Consider the following statements : 1. The Jains believed that Mahavira had twenty-three predecessors. 2. Parshvanatha was twenty-third Tirthankara. 3. Rishava was immediate successor of Mahavira. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

According to Jain tradition, Vardhamana Mahavira was the 24th and final Tirthankara of the current era [2]. Consequently, the Jains believe he was preceded by 23 other teachers or Tirthankaras who guided humanity across the river of existence [2]. Parshvanatha (or Parshva) is historically and traditionally recognized as the 23rd Tirthankara, making him the immediate predecessor of Mahavira [2]. Statement 3 is incorrect because Rishabha (also known as Rishavadeva or Adinatha) was the first Tirthankara and the founder of the sect, not the immediate successor of Mahavira [1]. The succession of Tirthankaras begins with Rishabha and ends with Mahavira [2]. Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is chronologically inaccurate as Rishabha lived long before Mahavira.

Sources

1. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > 3.Beyond Worldly Pleasures The Message of Mahavira > p. 88
2. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > 3.5 Jainism > p. 39