In Jainism, 24 Tirthankaras are revered as the supreme teachers who establish the path to liberation (moksha) in this cosmic half-cycle. They are not the only souls who have achieved moksha, but they are the most celebrated exemplars who revitalize and teach the dharma at the level needed for beings to practice and progress.

Why pray to the 24 Tirthankaras

• They show the perfect path: Each Tirthankar demonstrates the exact steps for overcoming karma, purifying the mind, and realizing the self (atman).
• They are guide-posts in the current time cycle: In this half-cycle (avasarpini), the religion is considered to have been re-established by these 24 Tirthankaras in successive eras. Their teachings serve as the blueprint for spiritual practice across generations.
• They embody ideal qualities: Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct (the three jewels) and the deep renunciation needed to attain kevala jnana (omniscience) and moksha.
• Unity of purpose across sects: Both Digambar and Shwetambar traditions honor the 24 Tirthankaras as the core lineage of liberated souls who show the universal path to liberation, though they may differ in certain practices or interpretations.

Key idea in simple terms: moksha is possible for many souls, but the Tirthankaras are the perfected beings who establish, demonstrate, and revive the complete path so that all beings can follow it and aim for liberation.

If you’d like, I can share a brief list of the 24 Tirthankaras and the era in which each is believed to have appeared, or provide their defining virtues as described in Jain scriptures.