I’ll explain this in a very simple Jain way.

When we say “our connection with Tirthankar based on birth”, there are mainly two angles:

1. Their birth (how we are connected to the Tirthankars)
2. Our birth (whether we are “born related” to them in some special way)

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1. Our connection with a Tirthankar’s birth

According to Jain Dharma:

• A Tirthankar is a soul just like us, who by very pure effort and right karma becomes:

- first: a future Tirthankar (by binding Tirthankar‑nam karma) - then: Arihant - finally: Siddha (liberated)

• The birth (Janma Kalyanak) of a Tirthankar is not ordinary. It is called “sin‑destroying birth” (pāp‑kṣayak janma).

Just remembering it with shraddhā, doing puja, swadhyāy, samayik, pratikraman, dān, etc. destroys many karmas and strengthens right faith (samyak darshan) in us.

• We feel connected to them through:

- Shraddhā – deep faith in their purity - Bhakti – devotion, stavan, aarti, chaityavandan - Anukaran – trying to copy their vrat, daya, kshamā, aparigrah in our own small life

So, in Jain view, our real connection with a Tirthankar is not blood‑relation, but guna‑relation: we become “close” to them when our qualities slowly become like theirs.

You can read a simple explanation of Tirthankar symbols and how they are recognised at birth here:

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2. Is our own birth specially “linked” to some Tirthankar?

Jain scriptures explain this through karma and previous lives, not through caste, surname, gotra, etc.

a) Karmic connection

• A soul becomes a Tirthankar only after countless lives of good punya and strong tapas.
• In many earlier births, that soul does:

- seva of saints, - prabhavna of Dharma, - protection of jeev, - and develops very strong, pure desire: “May I become a Tirthankar and show the path of moksha to all.”

If in past lives we have:

• served Tirthankars or great sadhus/sadhvis,
• protected their sangh, scriptures, temples,
• listened with deep faith to their deshna,

then our soul has a karmic connection with those Tirthankars. This is not visible as a “family link”, but it shows as:

• strong natural interest in Jain Dharma,
• love for ahimsa and tapas,
• attraction to swadhyāy and satsang, even from childhood.

b) Birth in Jain or non‑Jain family

From a Jain viewpoint:

• Being born in a Jain family is the fruit of past punya, especially punya connected to Dharma‑seva.

It means in some previous lives we had done something good linked to Jin‑dharma.

• But: a soul born in a non‑Jain family can be equally close to Tirthankars if it:

- gains samyak darshan now, - follows vrats, - walks on the path shown by them.

So, the main connection is not present‑birth label, but present and past karmas and our bhav (inner intention).

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3. Do Digambar and Shwetambar say anything different here?

On the basic principles, both agree:

• Tirthankar is a perfected soul, not a creator‑God.
• Their Kalyanaks (Garbh, Janma, Diksha, Kevaljnan, Nirvan) are supremely auspicious for all souls.
• Remembering and celebrating these Kalyanaks purifies our karma.

Differences are in stories and outer details, like:

• number of mother’s dreams (14 vs 16),
• some narrative points, not in the core idea of our connection.

On our birth‑connection, both accept:

• It is a matter of karma and inner purity,
• not of caste, place, or just being “born in the same region.”

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4. How to strengthen our connection with Tirthankars now

Whatever family or birth we have, we can become truly connected to Tirthankars by:

1. Daily Namokar Mantra with understanding.
2. Chaityavandan / Darshan with focus on their gunas, not only outer rituals.
3. Swadhyāy – reading about their charitra and Kalyanaks.
4. Small vrats:

- truthfulness, - one extra step of ahimsa (e.g., reduce dairy, avoid night‑eating, etc.), - control on anger and greed.

1. Daya and Kshamā – kindness to all beings, forgiving nature.

The more we walk their path, the deeper our connection becomes – not by birth, but by soul‑development.

In summary:

• A Tirthankar’s birth purifies the whole world; we link to it through faith, bhakti and practice.
• Our own birth is karmic, and true “relation” to a Tirthankar comes from following their path, not from family line or community label.