In Jainism, Kulakaras are legendary patriarchs who appear in the descending half of the cosmic age (avasarpini). They are not Tirthankaras or liberated souls, but wise founders who teach people how to live and survive as conditions in the world decline.

• Number: Traditionally there are 14 Kulakaras in the Digambara tradition. In some Śvetāmbara accounts, the list is counted differently (often described as 7 in some texts). This is one of the places where Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions give slightly different details.
• Role: They are early law-givers and patrons of civilization. They guide people in practical matters—how to build homes, grow food, organize society, marry, govern, etc.—so that human life can endure as moral and social conditions change.
• Relation to Tirthankaras: Kulakaras are earlier, foundational figures. Tirthankaras come later in the same cosmic cycle and are the spiritual liberators who show the path to nirvana.

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