In Jainism, the mother of a Tirthankar sees auspicious dreams when the soul descends into the womb. There are two traditions:

• Śvetāmbara: 14 swapna (dreams)
• Digambara: 16 swapna (14 basics plus 2 additional dreams)

14 swapna (Śvetāmbara view) with simple meaning (arth): 1) Elephant — greatness and noble conduct; leadership in dharma. 2) Bull — strength in dharma; the child will guide religion. 3) Lion — fearlessness and kingship in spiritual realm. 4) Goddess Lakshmi — great auspiciousness and prosperity of virtues. 5) Garland of flowers — fame of pure virtues spreading widely. 6) Full moon — peace and coolness to the world. 7) Sun — dispelling spiritual darkness with true knowledge. 8) Banner/Flag — victory of dharma. 9) Full vase (kalash) — fullness, purity, compassion. 10) Lotus-lake — purity and detachment while living in the world. 11) Milky ocean — vast virtues and spiritual depth. 12) Celestial palace (vimān) — exalted spiritual status. 13) Heap of jewels — immense virtues and wisdom. 14) Smokeless fire — radiant right knowledge that burns karmas.

Two additional dreams in the Digambara tradition: 15) Pair of fish — auspicious grace and harmony. 16) Throne — supreme spiritual sovereignty of a Tirthankar.

These dreams signify that a Tirthankar will be born to Mata Trishalā. For a simple ordered outline and explanations, you can read more here and here .

Notes:

• The Śvetāmbara tradition emphasizes 14 dreams; the Digambara tradition adds 2 more (making 16 in total).
• The list above reflects the common, traditional meanings used in Jain liturgy and storytelling around Mahavira’s birth. For official ritual descriptions, consult traditional sources in your Jain community.

You can read more about these dreams in the Jain Knowledge references here:

• 14 auspicious dreams of Mahavira’s birth (Śvetāmbara tradition)
• Mahavira Janmakalyanak overview and the dream list