In Jainism there is no creator god who decrees or governs the world. Tirthankaras are liberated souls (jinas) who have conquered inner passions and attained kevala jñāna. They are revered for their spiritual greatness, not as deities who control the universe.

The idea that the 22nd Tirthankara could be a “cousin of Vishnu” mixes Hindu mythological storytelling with Jain narrative. Jain texts do not present the Tirthankaras as gods or as relatives of Hindu gods. If a passage mentions figures like Vishnu, it is within a different religious frame and is not treated in Jain doctrine as implying a divine status or a familial relationship with a jina.

Key points:

• The 22nd Tirthankara is Neminath (Aristanemi) in the traditional Jain count.
• Tirthankaras are jinas who have achieved complete spiritual purity; they are not creators or gods.
• Vishnu or other Hindu divinities, when they appear in Jain literature, are typically framed within Jain cosmology as separate figures, not as gods who parent or govern the jinas.

If you’d like, I can provide a brief Jain explanation of who Neminath is, his life story in Jain scriptures, and how Jainism views the role of Tirthankaras.