Vardhamana Mahavira is the 24th Tirthankar in Jain tradition. He is honored by both Digambaras and Śvētāmbaras as the last Tirthankar of this cosmic era.

Key points about Mahavira:

• Life era: Traditionally dated to the 6th century BCE, about 2,500 years ago.
• Birth and renunciation: Born as Vardhamana in a royal family; at age 30 he renounced worldly life to seek spiritual truth.
• Attainment of enlightenment: After a long period of intense austerities (tapt), he attained kevala jnana (supreme, omniscient knowledge).
• Mission and leaders: Mahavira taught the path for liberation and established the fourfold Jain order—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
• Core teachings: Ahimsa (non-violence) is central, along with satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy), and aparigraha (non-attachment). He emphasized the concepts of anekantavada (non-absolutism) and syadvada (conditional predication) to understand the plural nature of truth.
• Moksha: He attained Nirvana (moksha) at Pawapuri, near modern-day Bihar, and left behind a vast body of teachings that form the basis of Jain philosophy and practice.

Important nuances:

• Digambara vs. Śvētāmbara views agree on his central role and teachings, but differ on some biographical details and practices (for example, Digambaras traditionally emphasize the nudity of monks, while Śvētāmbaras wear white clothes; both honor Mahavira as the 24th Tirthankar).
• The spiritual aim of his teachings is the liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death through right conduct, right knowledge, and right faith.

If you’d like, I can summarize any particular teaching of Mahavira (for example, aselest of ahimsa or anekantavada) in simple steps, or provide a short quotation from Jain scriptures.