# Tirthankara

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A person who achieves enlightenment through asceticism and who then becomes a role-model teacher for those seeking spiritual guidance.

## Etymology
Transliteration of Sanskrit तीर्थंकर (tīrthaṃkara, “ford-maker”), from तीर्थम् (tīrtham, “ford”) + कर (kara, “maker”), where "ford" refers to the crossing across the material world.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tirthankara