In Jain cosmology, the Kulakaras were the fourteen wise people (Manus) who appeared one after another to lay the foundations of society in the last era, the Kalpa or Karmabhoomi phase. Their main work was to teach and organize people so they could survive and grow in the world of action (Karmabhoomi) after the age of carefree Kalpavriksha abundance.

How they helped the yugliks prepare for Karmabhoomi:

• They taught practical crafts and technologies: farming, use of tools, cooking, weaving, and other essential skills needed for everyday life.
• They established social order and property norms: marking land and resources, and setting up rules to regulate ownership and use.
• They created means of defense and mobility: training people to tame and use animals, to build boats for river crossing, and to travel and trade.
• They introduced family and social practices: guidance on bringing up children, naming, and organizing communities.
• They established a system of conduct and discipline: a three-step method of correction (Ha, Ma, Dhik) to curb wrongdoing.
• They prepared people to work and produce: guiding them to raise crops, build crafts and industries, and create a sustainable economy.

A key turning point came with Nabhiraya (the last Kulakara), when Kalpavriksha wealth declined and rains brought abundant crops. He explained that bhogabhumi (world of enjoyment) was fading and karmabhoomi (land of action) had emerged, so people would now need to labor and contribute through work, agriculture, and trade. This marked the shift from a land of divine gifts to a practical, work-oriented society, which the Kulakaras had prepared them to face.