Here’s a simple, reliable path to start learning about the Tirthankars (past and future), with texts from both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions. Begin with brief overviews, then move to full biographies, and finally study the cosmology/time-cycles that explain “future” Tirthankars.

Start here (short, beginner-friendly)

• Śvetāmbara: Kalpa Sūtra (Tirthankar-nāmakarma/pravachan sections). Gives the list of 24 Tirthankars, emblems, and key episodes of Bhagavān Mahāvīra.
• Introductory booklets on “24 Tirthankars” published by Jain organizations (names, symbols, virtues). Good for first orientation.

Full life-stories (authoritative and traditional)

• Śvetāmbara: Triṣaṣṭi-Śalākā-Puruṣa-Caritra by Āchārya Hemacandra. The standard epic on all 24 Tirthankars (plus the other illustrious persons). Read this after the Kalpa Sūtra for complete narratives.
• Digambara:

- Ādi Purāṇa by Āchārya Jinasena (focuses on Ādinātha Ṛṣabhadeva, with foundational context). - Uttarapurāṇa by Āchārya Guṇabhadra (covers the remaining Tirthankars). Together, these two are often called the Mahāpurāṇa in the Digambara tradition.

For “past–future” across time-cycles (how and when Tirthankars arise)

• Digambara classics on cosmology and time:

- Tiloyapaṇṇatti (Tiloyapaṇṇatti) by Āchārya Yativṛṣabha. - Trilokasāra by Āchārya Nemichandra. These texts explain the Jain universe, the cycles of time (avasarpiṇī/utsarpiṇī), and how sets of 24 Tirthankars arise in each half-cycle. They help you understand why Mahāvīra is the 24th of the present avasarpiṇī, and that the next 24 will arise in the future utsarpiṇī.

• Śvetāmbara cosmography texts (for parallel study):

- Jambūdvīpa Prajñapti and related cosmological sections that align with the doctrine of recurring sets of 24 Tirthankars.

Good study order 1) Read a short “24 Tirthankars” overview to learn names, emblems, and virtues. 2) Śvetāmbara route: Kalpa Sūtra → Triṣaṣṭi-Śalākā-Puruṣa-Caritra. Digambara route: Ādi Purāṇa → Uttarapurāṇa (Mahāpurāṇa). 3) Then study Tiloyapaṇṇatti/Trilokasāra to grasp time-cycles and the “future” Tirthankars concept.

Notes on tradition and language

• Śvetāmbara and Digambara texts share the core list and virtues; narrative details and emphasis may vary by tradition.
• Reliable Hindi, Gujarati, and English translations exist for the above works. Prefer editions published by recognized Jain institutions.

This path will give you both the inspiring lives of the 24 Tirthankars of our current time-cycle and the doctrinal framework for understanding Tirthankars in past and future cycles.