Jinas

Jinas saints among the Jainas (q.v.) in India. A saint is called a Jina, as being the victor over all human passions and propensities. He is supposed to possess thirty-six superhuman attributes, four of which regard his person; eleven refer to his supernatural powers; while the remaining nineteen are of celestial origin, as the raining of flowers and perfumes, the sound of heavenly drums, and the menial offices rendered by Indra and the gods. The Jinas are twenty-four in number, and although similar in their general character and attributes, are distinguished from each other in color, stature, and longevity. Two of them are red, two white, two blue, two black, the rest are of a golden hue, or a yellowish brown. In regard to stature and length of life, they undergo a gradual decrease from Rishabha, the first Jina, who was five hundred poles in stature, and lived 8,400,000 great years, to Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Jina, who had degenerated to the size of a man, and was not more than forty years on the earth.