Religions - Jainism: Jainism at a glance.
"Attachment and aversion are the root cause of karma, and karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death, and these are said to be the source of misery. None can escape the effect of their own past karma "
2. • Origin of Jainism
• Tirthankars
• Vardaman Mahavira
• Triratan
• 5 Doctrines of Jainism
• Causes of the rise of Jainism
• Spread of Jainism
• Jain Council
• Jain Literature/Text
• Contributions of Jainism
• Statue/ Temples(Jianalaya)
• Sects/ Schools : Digambras and Svetambaras
• Relevance of Jain Ideology in Today’s World
• Tenets of Jainism
• Royal Patrons of Jainism
• Teachings of Mahavira
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3. Jainism is an ancient religion that is rooted in the philosophy that teaches the way to liberation and
a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.
The word ‘Jain’ is derived from Jina or Jaina which means the ‘Conqueror’
Origin of Jainism :
Jainism is a very ancient religion. It is as old as the Vedic religion.
The Jain tradition has a succession of great teachers or Tirthankaras.
There were 24 Tirthankaras the last of which was Vardhaman Mahavira.
The first Tirthankara is believed to be Rishabhanath or Rishabhadev.
The 23rd Tirthankara was Parshvanatha who was born in Varanasi.
He may have lived in the 8th or 7th century BC.
All the Tirthankaras were Kshatriyas by birth.
Jainism = Nontheistic Religion, Salvation by Perfection.
Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow the new teacher from samsara to Moksha
4. Tirthankaras -
(Sanskrit: tīrthaṅkara; English: literally a 'ford-maker')
A Tirthankara is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the dharma.
The word tirthankara signifies the founder of a tirtha, which is a
fordable passage across the sea of interminable births and
deaths, the saṃsāra.
तीर्थंकर
A Tirthankar is not an incarnation of the God.
He is an ordinary soul that born as a human and attains the
states of a Tirthankar as a result of intense practices of penance,
equanimity and meditation.
As such, the Tirthankar is not defined as an Avatar (god-incarnate)
but is the ultimate pure developed state of the soul. Thus he may
be called as the God in human form.
“ Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow the
new teacher from samsara to Moksha “
5. Vardhamana Mahavira :
▪ Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, was born in 540 B.C. in a village
called Kundagrama near Vaishali in Bihar .
▪ He belonged to the Jnatrika clan and was connected to the royal family of Magadha.
▪ His father Siddharta was the head of the Jnathrika Kshatriya clan
▪ His mother Trishala was a sister of Chetaka, the king of Vaishali.
▪ He is also related to Bimbisara, ruler of Magadha, who had married Chellena
(Chetaka’s daughter)
▪ He is married to Yashoda (Daughter of Samarvira king)
▪ He had a Daughter : Anonja Priyadarshini, whose husband Jamali, became first
disciple of Mahavira.
▪ At the age of 30 years, After the death of his father, he renounced his home and
become an ascetic and proceeded in search of truth.
▪ He was accompanied by Makkhali Gosala, but later due to some difference Gosala
left him and founded Ajivika sect.
6. ▪ He was called Kevalin (Perfect Learned) ,Jina or Jitendriya, Nrigrantha, Arhant and Mahavira.
▪ He delivered his first sermon at Pava to his 11 disciples / Gandharvas
▪ A symbol was associated with every Tirthankara and Mahavira’s symbol was a lion.
▪ His missions took him Koshala, Magadha, Mithila, Champa etc
▪ He passed away at the age of 72 in 468 B.C. at the Pavapuri near Biharsharif in Bihar.
▪ Sudharma only one of 11 Ganadharas who survived after the death of Mahavira.
▪ He practised austerity for 12 years and attained the highest spiritual knowledge
called Kaivalya(Supreme Knowledge) under a sal tree at Jambhikagrama on bank of River
Rijupalika (i.e conquered misery and happiness) at the age of 42 years.
7. Teachings of Mahavira
• Mahavira rejected Vedic principles.
• He did not believe in God’s existence. According to him, the universe is a product
of the natural phenomenon of cause and effect.
• He believed in Karma and transmigration of the soul. The body dies but the soul
does not.
• One will be punished or rewarded as per one’s karma.
• Advocated a life of austerity and non-violence.
• Stressed on equality but did not reject the caste system, unlike Buddhism. But he
also said that man may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as per his actions and not birth.
• Asceticism was taken to a great length. Starvation, nudity and self-mortification
were expounded.
• Two elements of the world: Jiva (conscious) and Atma (unconscious).
8. Jainism prescribes a path to liberation (Moksha), consists of the following trinity:
• Right Faith (Samyak Shradha/Viswas)
It is the belief in Thirathankars.
• Right Knowledge (Samyak Jnana)
It is the knowledge of Jain Creed
• Right Conduct/Action (Samyak Charitrya)
It is the practice of the 5 vows of Jainism.
Triratna - Three Gems of Jainism
9. Five Doctrines of Jainism
(Pancha Mahavaratas)
◦ Ahimsa: Non-injury to a living being
◦ Satya: Do not speak a lie
◦ Asteya: Do not steal
◦ Aparigraha: Do not acquire property
◦ Brahmacharya: Observe continence
13. Causes of the rise of Jainism :
· Vedic religion had become highly ritualistic.
· Jainism was taught in Pali and Prakrit thus was more accessible
to the common man as compared to Sanskrit.
· It was accessible to people of all castes.
· Varna system had rigidified and people of the lower castes led miserable lives.
Jainism offered them an honourable place.
· About 200 years after the death of Mahavira, a great famine in the Ganga valley
prompted Chandragupta Maurya and Bhadrabahu (last Acharya of the undivided Jain sangha)
to migrate to Karnataka. Jainism spread to Southern India after that.
14. Spread of Jainism
• Mahavira organised an order of his followers which admitted both men and women.
• Jainism did not very clearly mark itself out from Hinduism, therefore it spread
gradually into West and South India where brahmanical order was weak.
• The great Mauryan King Chandragupta Maurya, during his last years,
became a jain ascetic and promoted Jainism in Karnataka.
• Famine in Magadha led to the spread of Jainism in South India.
• The famine lasted for 12 years, and in order to protect themselves,
many Jains went to South India under the leadership of Bhadrabahu.
• In Odisha, it enjoyed the patronage of Kalinga King of Kharavela.
15. Jain Council :
▪ First Jain Council
◦ Held at Patliputra in 3rd Century B.C. and was presided by Sthulbhadra.
▪ Second Jain Council
◦ Held at Vallabhi in 512 A.D. and was presided by Devardhi Kshmasramana.
◦ Final Compilations of 12 Angas and 12 Upangas.
16. Jain Literature/Texts :
Jain literature is classified into two major categories:
▪ Agam or Canonical Literature (Agam Sutras)
◦ Agam literature consists of many texts, sacred books of the Jain religion.
◦ They are written in the Ardha-magadhi, a form of Prakrit language
▪ Non-agam Literature
◦ Non-agam literature consists of commentary and explanation of Agam literature,
◦ and independent works, compiled by ascetics and scholars.
◦ They are written in many languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsa,
◦ Old Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannad, Tamil, German, and English
17. Contribution of Jainism :
▪ Attempts to reform the evils of varna order.
▪ Growth of Prakrit and Kannada.
▪ Contributed to architecture and literature immensely.
How is Jainism different from Buddhism?
▪ Jainism recognised the existence of god while Buddhism did not.
▪ Jainism does not condemn the varna system while Buddhism does.
▪ Jainism believed in the transmigration of soul i.e. reincarnation while Buddhism does not.
▪ Buddhism prescribes a middle path while Jainism advocates its followers to live the life of
complete austerity.
18. Statues -
Layana/Gumphas (Caves)
Ellora Caves (Cave No. 30-35)- Maharashtra, Mangi Tungi
Cave- Maharashtra, Gajapantha Cave- Maharashtra,
Udayagiri-Khandagiri Caves- Odisha, Hathi-gumpha Cave-
Odisha, Sittanavasal Cave- Tamil Nadu,
Gometeshwara/Bahubali Statue- Shravanabelagola,
Karnataka,Statue of Ahimsa (Rishabnatha)- Mangi-Tungi
hills, Maharashtra
◦ Jianalaya (Temple)
• Dilwara Temple- Mount Abu, Rajasthan
• Girnar and Palitana Temple- Gujarat
• Muktagiri Temple- Maharashtra
Manastambha: It is found in the front side of the temple, having religious importance with an ornamental pillar structure
carrying the image of Tirthankar on top and on all four cardinal directions.
Basadis: Jain monastic establishment or temples in Karnataka.
19. Sects/ School
Jain order has been divided into two major sects: Digambara and Svetambara.
The division occurred mainly due to famine in Magadha which compelled a group led by Bhadrabahu to move
South India.
During the 12 years famine, the group in South India stick to the strict practices while the group in Magadha
adopted a more lax attitude and started wearing white clothes. After the end of famine, when the
Southern group came back to Magadha, the changed practices led to the division of Jainism into two sects.
▪ Digambara
◦ Monks of this sect believe in complete nudity.
◦ Male monks do not wear clothes while
◦ Female monks wear unstitched plain white sarees.
◦ Believe women cannot achieve liberation.
◦ Bhadrabahu was an exponent of this sect.
◦ Follow all five vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya).
20. ▪ Svetambara
◦ Monks wear white clothes.
◦ Follow only 4 vows (except brahmacharya).
◦ Believe women can achieve liberation.
◦ Sthulabhadra was an exponent of this sect.
◦ Major Sub-Sects
• Murtipujaka
• Sthanakvasi
• Terapanthi
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21. Relevance of Jain Ideology in Today’s World
▪ The Jain theory of Anekantavada translated into practical terms in social context would mean three principles:
◦ Absence of dogmatism or fanaticism
◦ Honouring the freedom of others
◦ Peaceful coexistence and cooperation
Anekantavada highlights the spirit of intellectual and social tolerance in the world.
▪ The principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) gains prominence in today’s nuclear world to attain
▪ long-lasting peace in society.
◦ The concept of Ahimsa can also help to counter growing violence and terrorism.
▪ The principle of Aparigraha (non-possession) can help to control consumerist habits as there
▪ is a great increase in greed and possessive tendencies.
◦ Global warming also can be healed with this thought by doing away with unwanted luxuries,
◦ which produce carbon emissions.
22. Tenets of Jainism
▪ Belief in God: Jainism recognised the existence of god but placed them lower than Jina (Mahavira).
▪ It did not condemn the varna system but attempted to mitigate the evils of the varna order & ritualistic Vedic religion.
◦ According to Mahavira, a person is born in higher or lower varna as the consequence of the sins or the virtues in the previous birth.
◦ Jainism believes in the transmigration of the soul and the theory of Karma.
Anekantavada: Emphasises that the ultimate truth and reality is complex, and has multiple-aspects i.e theory of plurality.
▪ It refers to the simultaneous acceptance of multiple, diverse, even contradictory viewpoints.
Syadvada: All judgments are conditional, holding good only in certain conditions, circumstances, or senses.
▪ Syadavada literally means the ‘method of examining different probabilities’.
The basic difference between them is that Anekantavada is the knowledge of all differing
but opposite attributes whereas Syadavada is a process of the relative description of a particular
attribute of an object or an event.
23. South India
• Kadamba dynasty
• Ganga dynasty
• Amoghavarsha
• Kumarapala (Chalukya dynasty)
Royal Patrons of Jainism
North India
• Bimbisara
• Ajatasatru
• Chandragupta Maurya
• Bindusara
• Harshavardhana
• Ama
• Bindusara
• Kharavela
