Jainism (), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. Jain dharma traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or "tirthankaras", with the first in current time cycle being Lord Rishabhanatha, whom the Jain tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third "tirthankara" Parshvanatha whom historians date to 8th or 7th century BCE, and the 24th "tirthankara", Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal "dharma" with the "tirthankaras" guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.