Jain Dharm

By Himanshu Bhatt

The official Jain flag.

These are the most important Jina temples for pilgrimages in India.

Jainism is also known as Jain Dharm, Jin Dharm, Jinmārga, Jinśāsan, Jinvachan, Jinvāni, and Nirgranth Dharm, Nirgranthśāsan, Vitarāgamārg, Anekāntadarśan, Arhat Dharm. It is an Arya dharm, like Sanatan Dharm, Bauddh Dharm, Sikh Dharm, and Bonpa Dharm. This means that it is a religion that is based on the Doctrine of Moksha. It, like the Sanatan and Bauddh dharms claims to be an Astika darshan.

Jainism recognizes two fundamental principles. They are:

1. The jiva tattva - It means living objects.
2. The ajiva tattva - It means non-living objects

These two principles come into contact with one another and forge certain energies that bring forth birth, various experiences of life and death. There is a five-fold ethical code in Jainism. It is as follows:

1. Ahiñsā - non-violence
2. Satya - truth
3. Asteya - non-stealing
4. Brahmacharya - celibacy
5. Aparigraha - non-acceptance of gifts

Jains consider themselves as Hindus, and it was actually Dayanand Saraswati who had urged government legislation to have them recognized as distinct from the Hindu community.

"the kinship of the religions of India stems from the fact that Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs look back to Hinduism as their common mother." - S. Vernon McCasland

Pan-Hindu monarchs, while being devout to a particular sect themselves were open to accepting and supporting their family members being of any other sect. King Kharvela the Jain king of Kalinga was called a "sarva pasanda pujaka" and "sarva devayatana samskarana". Line 17th of his Hatigumpha inscription also reveals that he repaired the temples of all the deities.

Origin of Jainism

The origin of Jainism is such that it claims to be established by Kashyapa (perhaps refering to Rishabha, who was of Kashyapa gotra), or in one case Gautama. He has also been known as Adinath, Adiguru, Adiśvara, Koṣālika, Nabheya, Vriśabhasena, Yugadijina, and Yugadiśa.

We do know that the first Tirthankara was Rishabha and that he preached the dharma if various parts of India. His son Bharat further became a Chakravarti whose suzerainty extended to beyond India. This spread Jainism as well, and is the reason why two known Tirthankars (Simandhara, Yugandhara) apart from the 24 of India were born in ancient Uyghurstan and Afghanistan.

Jains have historically also been known as Nirgranthas (Without knots), Nagnas (Naked ones, referring to the mendicants), Nainars (in Tamilnad), Kshapanakas, Bhavnas, and Bhavyajanas. Collectively they are known as the Ćaturvidha Sangh or Ćaturvarna Sangh (Four-fold Order), and Ćaturvarga which means the same.

Jain temples are typically referred to as mandirs, though are also more specifically known as jinalayas, siddhayatans, and sasvata-caityas.

Harmony of Jainism with other sects

Jain Dharma has been harmonious with other sects, including mainstream Hindu Dharma.

Haribhadra wrote of Shiva as Mahadeva and him being the jina free from all passions, on the cult, knowledge, renunciations, etc.

Malli Reddi though a Jain himself of a Jain family is said to be the uplifter of four doctrines (Jain, Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Bauddha.) He even built 21 temples to merit his ancestors up to 21 generations.

Mandala Purusha's Suddmani Nigandu or Sulatnani Nigandu dictionary uses the same generic word to refer to deities of different doctrines whether for Jina, Brahman or Pangayan, Siva, or others.

Asadhara composed the Jinasahasranama in the mid-13th century and it in the Jina is repeatedly compared with Mahadeva Sadasiva and Brahma.

Ravisena identifies Rishabhadeva as Shiva and Swayambhu. In the Mahapurana of Jinasena-Gunabhadra, the Jina is called the creator and destroyer of the universe.

	That which is formless is given a form (rupa.) He is the form of the universe, the Lord of the World. It is the embodiment (murti) of enlightenment (kevala-jnana), the one who has conquered all passions, the Jina lord. The embodiment of the Jina shows the teacher of the world as absorbed in The Ultimate (Brahma).
—Jaya Samhita

Hemchandra was the one who gave advice to King Kumar Pala to rebuild Somanath pilgrimage temple after it was plundered and destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni, according to the Bhadrakali inscription. Then aggressive sectarian priests pressured him to pay homage to the Shiva statue at the temple. Hemchandra replied with piety towards the statue and said, "I bow to all those who have overcome the attachment and hatred that are the cause of worldly existence, be they Brahmā, Vishnu, Shiva or Jina."

An inscription belonging to Saundatti town Ratta Dynasty's period reads:

Jayanti yasyāvadato 'pi bhārati

Vibhutayas tirthakrto'pi...

Sivāya dhātre sugatāya visnave

jināya tasmai sakalātmane namah

This shows the belief that all Hindu religions, whether Shaivism, Buddhism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, or others, they are all valid according to Jainism.

A silasasana in Belur from 1380 CE declares that Lord Kesava of Belur is identical with "whomsoever the Vedāntins in their heart adore under the name of Brahm, or the Saivites under the name of Siva, or the Bauddhas under the Buddha, the Naiyāyikas skilled in the pramanas under the name of Kartā, whomsoever the Jains understand by Arhat, whomsoever the Mimāmsakas call Karma."

A Jain inscription reads:

Yo viṣvam vedavedyam jananajalanidher bhanginah pāradrṣvā

paurvāparyāviruddham vacanam anupamam niṣkalankam yadiyam

tam vande sādhuvandyam sakalagunanidhim dhvastadoṣadviṣantam

buddham vā vardhamānam ṣtadalinilayam keṣavam vā ṣivam vā

Kerala's St. Ilangovadigal had used epithets of Brahma and Shiva for Tirthankaras.

Celini, a Vaishnava of the Sinhdudesi royal family married Srenika the Jain, and the two stayed in their respective religions.

Brahm in Jainism

See also: Brahm

Although Jain scriptures normally focus on achieving the statehood of the Jina, rather than explain a Supreme Jina to which all Jinas belong, there latter does find mention. The notion of a Supreme above all is clear in some Jain scriptures. There has been association between Tirthankaras and Brahm (Brāhman) within the texts. The second, Tirthankar, Ajita in the Svayambhu Stotra is described as "Brahma-nisṭha" and is requested to bestow "Jinasri" on the devotee. Later in the same scripture, Brahmā is described of as being the highest principle, "ahiñsa bhutanam jagati viditam brahma paramair." There is also Jinesvara Suri's Gaharayanakoṣa scripture which begins first with a prayer to Jina, and then Brahman.

The name Brahmā (not to be confused with Brāhma) has been used in Jainism also in titles conferred on both Jain scholars and temples. Hasmukhlal Dhirajlal Sankalia suggests that names like Brahmasaraṇu suggest the person has realized or is after Brahman There were some great scholars who took this title and examples are Brahmachintamani, Brahmaguṇadasa, Brahmajinadasa, Brahmajinasagara, Brahmananka, Brahmapunyasagara and Brahmasantidas. Furthermore, the Parsvadeva Basadi, a temple of Parshvanatha of Tailangere is known as Brahma Jinalaya.

Some scholars make it clear that Brahman is an entity and Supreme Brahman and even compare it to personifications of God Almighty. The Jain Scholar Yogindu called Paramātma by many names including Brahman and Jinadeva. He writes, "Jinadeva is present in all the temples of the body and man would be fool to seek him in temples." He compares the perfection of Jina to other names that the perfect entity is called. The body, etc. are not the highest self that is here known stainless (nirmala), timeless (niṛkala), pure, Jina, Śiva, Viṣṇu and peaceful. He also says, "If the highest Brahman is not realized through great meditation one has to wander infinitely suffering the miseries of transmigration."

A few scholars have made it a required belief to believe in the Supreme Jina. Achārya Vijay Bhuvanbhanusuri writes, "If philosophers do not believe in the omniscient Jinendradeva as the reverend Supreme Lord, then there is no Jainatva in them." A Jain scripture says one "should center one's mind, heart and soul in mastering intellectual recognition-perception of the Supreme Self through philosophic erudition and thus ultimately become himself the Lord of Lords namely the dispassionate Jinendradeva."

In the Mahāpurāṇa of Jinasena-Guṇabhadra, the Jina is called the creator and destroyer of the universe. The following is an excerpt from a Jain scripture:

That which is formless is given a form. He is the form of the universe, the lord of the world. It is the embodiment (murti) of enlightenment (kevala-jnāna), the one who has conquered all passions, the Jina lord. The embodiment of the Jina shows the teacher of the world as absorbed in the ultimate (Brahmā).

Sureśvara was the chief disciple of Adi Shankar Acharya and he used the word ātmā to connote the Brahman at times and other times the jivatma. Digambara Jain scholar Vijayananda in his Astasahasri quotes Suresvara's Brhadaranyakopanishad-bhasya-varttika.

Many Jains, especially renowned scholars have denied that Jainism is atheist. Renowned Jain philosopher, Vijayasena Suri in the court of Akbar when accused of preaching atheism declared that Jainism's belief is not atheistic and is similar to the Sañkhya of Kapila. Sañkhya advocates a Nirguṇa Atman or a plurality of selves.) Similar to this view, some advocated monism. The Ekavada or monism is discussed by some Jains. One commentator even refers to the Upaniṣadic idea of Brahman. It corresponds to the Buddhist idea of Ekaccasassatavada mentioned in Brahmajala Sutta.

Five Heavens

Jain cosmology.

There are 5 swargas identified in Jain sastras. The higher ones are in descending order:

1. Urdhavaloka
2. Devaloka
3. Graiveyika
4. Anuttaravimana
5. Mokshaloka

Jainism and Vedic scriptures

Jainism not nastika doctrine

Scholar Annāsaheba Latthe writes that Jainism cannot be called a nāstika doctrine because some its Tirthankaras are "worshiped and praised" in the Vedas. Jains themselves have been branded nāstikas for not accepting the Vedas and they in turn have accused many non-Jains of being Nāstikas. According to Jainism, nastikavāda is a system of beliefs that are nāstika in nature. Jains assign the term nāstika to one who is ignorant of the meaning of the religious texts or those who deny the existence of the soul.

The Jains acharyas, Maṇibhadra and Haribhadra associated Jainism of āstika classification and associated the Lokayata (Charvaka) philosophy and pro-Vedic Vedānta with nāstika.

Tirthankaras in Vedic scriptures

Some mainstream Hindu scriptures like the Purāṇas clearly mention the Tirthankaras. It is now accepted that Vedas and other Vedic scriptures do too.

Tirthankara	Translation	Passage	Veda
Riṣabha	But Riṣabha went on, unperturbed by anything till he became sin-free like a conch that takes no black dot, without obstruction ... which is the epithet of the First World-teacher, may become the destroyer of enemies		Ṛgveda
Riṣabha		Om namo arhato Rsabho, om Rsabhah pavitram. Om trataramindram Rshabham vadanti amrtaramindram
Ariśtanemi		So asmakam Aristanemi svaha Arhan vibharsi sayakani dhanvarhanistam yajatam visvarupam arhannidam dayase	Ṛgveda
Ariśtanemi		Om svasti na indro vrddhasravah svasti nah pIZsa vis'vavedrih svasti na sta'rksyo Aristanemih svasti no brhaspatir dadha'tu anena svastikena bhagavad durgciya'h	Ṛgveda / Sāmaveda a/ Kaivalya Upaniṣad

The Ṛgveda mentions Ṛṣabha the 1st Tirthankara and Ariśtanemi the 22nd. The Yajurveda mentions both of them and then Ajitanatha and Suparshva too, in cantos 25 and 92. Below are documented sections of scripture that reference one or more of the 24 Jinas venerated in Jainism:

• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda
• Sāmaveda
• Atharvaveda
• Aitareya Brāhmana
• Yasknirutka
• Sarvanukramanika by Kātyāyana
• Vedartha Dipika by Sadguru Śishya
• Śayana Bhāsya
• Skanda Purāṇa - Prabhas Khanda
• Bhāgavata Purāṇa
• Markandeya Purāṇa

Jain interpretation of Vedas

As mainstream Hindu scriptures don't declare the Vedas themselves fundamental to achieving Mokṣa but as holy texts, so too many Jains view them as sacred but not fundamental for Mokṣa. Vaṣiṣṭha Ṛṣi for instance, in his Dharmasutra declared, "acharahinam na punanti vedah".

Tamil saint Ilangovadigal wrote in his Silappadikdram of the Arihant that He is, "the Dweller in Heaven, the Foremost of the Vedas..."

The Buddhist Suttanipata makes a reference to "the Vedas of the Samanas as well as those of the Brahmans." There are Jains even in modern time that believe the Jainism originates from the Veda. An example is given by scholar T.N. Dhar who visited Mathura and met with a Swami Vijayananda of the Digambara sect that made this claim.

Another scholar that claimed to have the compassionate message of the true Vedas is Thiruvalluvar, who is believed by many scholars to have been a Jain. His parentage is from a Brahman father and he was addressed "Aravalianthanan" (Brahman who possesses the wheel of dharma.) Many writers have written of him and in one quote is a relationship made between him and the message of the Vedas, "Of him It is no other than Ayan (Brahma) himself, seated on the beautiful lotus-flower, who, assuming the form of Valluvar, has given to the world the truths of the Vedas, that they may shine without being mixed up with falsehood." Silappadikaram quotes a verse from it. Nikakesi too quotes from it a few times, and whenever it does it proclaims of the Kural, "as is mentioned in our scripture".

Further, Jain Sage Jinabhadra in his Visesavasyakabhasya cites a number of passages from the Vedic Upanishads. Even many of the Vedic sages are honored by Jain scholars, for their asceticism. Sages like Yajnavalkya, Rajaputra, Nara, Nārada, Gautama, Apastamba, Angirasa, and Romapada are also mentioned in the Yasastilaka for their austerities. Somadeva, author of the Yasastilaka goes on to honor the priest craft of Pingala, Matanga, Marichi and Gautama chanting the Sāman and quotes some Vedic authorities like Mānu, Vyāsa, Vasistha and others.

Some historical Jain scholars have believed the Vedas actually represent metaphorical sacrifices, a claim which the Upaniṣads also endorse! In this view, the sacrifices are seen as proper human behavior to destroy desire. The Uttaradhyayana Sutra outlines the story of Jain Brahman Jayagosha confronting a staunch orthodox Vedic sage and when the sage asks Jayagosha to tell him the meaning of Vedas, the latter supplies the Jain view.

Orthodox Vedic Sage: Tell us the most essential subject in the Vedas, and tell us what is most essential in the sacrifice; tell us the first of the heavenly bodies, and tell us the best of dharmas.

Jayagosha: The most essential subject in the Vedas is the agnihotra, and that of the sacrifice is the purpose of the sacrifice; the first of the heavenly bodies is the moon, and the best of dharmas is that of Kaśyapa (e.g., Riśabha).

Jayagosha: The beautiful (gods) with joined hands praise and worship the highest Lord (i.e. the Tirthankara) as the planets, &c., (praise) the moon.

According to the Dipika commentary of Uttaradhyayana Sutra by Harshakula, the "sacrifice" here means the ten virtues: truth, penance, content, patience, right conduct, simplicity, faith, constancy, not injuring anything and Samvara.

In the Uttaradhyayana Sutra, Harikeśa states:

Austerity is my agni, the soul is fire place, meditation is offering-ladle, the body is the dried cow-dung as fuel and actions are the kindling wooden-sticks;.

Renowned scholar Vimalasuri in Ussesa in another scripture interprets the Vedic sacrifices as metaphorical to sacrifice the animals within and that this true way is the Arṣa-Veda (Veda of Ṛṣis) or the Vedas:

"Body is the altar, mind is the fire blazing with the ghee of knowledge. This fire consumes or destroys completely the heap of sacrificial sticks of sins produced by the tree of karman.

Anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, hatred, and delusion-these passions along with the senses, are the sacrificed animals which are to be killed. Truth, forgiveness, nonviolence are the adequate sacrificial fee which is to be paid. Right faith, conduct, self-control, celibacy, etc., are the gods (to be propitiated). This is the true sacrifice as laid down in the venerable Vedas and expounded by the venerable Jinas. This sacrifice, when performed with complete contemplation or profound meditation, brings the reward, not heaven, but the highest nirvana (=mokṣa) liberation.

Those, however, who perform sacrifices by actually slaughtering animals go to hell just like hunters."

This "Arsa-Veda" spoken of by Vimalasuri is also spoken of by some other scholars such as Madhava and Aurobindo. So then some scholars believe that originally both the Samanic and mainstream Hindu sects had the same Vedas.

Jains partaking in Vedic ceremonies

Historically Vedic ceremonies have been a part of several members of the Jain laity. Some Jain royal families of southern Kanara had Somanatha as their monarchy's official deity and even conducted worship ceremonies officiated by Jain priests. The pattabhiseka ceremony for the Jain king of Vandar was performed by a Vedic Srauta priest.

Spreading of Jainism beyond India

Sudarṣana-Dvipa world-view with varṣas.

Sudarṣana-Dvipa closeup with varṣas and Bhārata in detail.

See also: History of Ancient Geography, The Spread of Hinduism

That Jainism existed outside of India, even within Central Asia, Uyghurstan, Indochina, and Indonesia can be seen in both Jain and Buddhist writings. The term 'Jina' was popularly used by Buddhists in Indonesia. Even a temple called 'Jina Dharma' with a Manjusri icon built by Aryyawangsadhirajana in 1343 СЕ (1265 Saka) is mentioned.

In the Jambudvipa Pannati Sutra, places outside of Bharat-varṣa are mentioned to also have been ruled by Chakravarti Bharat. These include Anga-loka, Simhala (Sri Lanka), Babara, Cilayoka, Javana-dvipa (Greece), Arabaka (Arabia), Romaka (Anatolia), Alasanda and Kachchha.

Jain scriptures write of 20 Tirthānkaras in Videha-varṣas (Bhadrasva, Ilāvrata, and Ketumāla), who were of that region, just as India had its own 24.

Lin-i-a was a kingdom on the southeastern coast of modern Vietnam, and records of contact from Southern Ch'i and Liang writings due to an expedition by the Chinese Sung Dynasty reveals that a golden statue belonging to "the Nigrantha (Jain) cult" was seized and melted down, providing enormous quantity of previous metal. This theft though unholy and greedy reveals that Jainism existed in Indochina.

The earliest mention of the Pallava Dynasty's presence in Indonesia is inscribed in the Jain Lokavibhaga, which it dates to Ṣaka 380 or 458 CE in the 22nd regnal year of the Pallava king Simha Varman.

Tirthānkaras in Vidahas

Continental map based on Chatur-dvipa (Four Islands) of Tibetan geography with translated Sanskrit names.

Achārya Kundakunda.

Gudhamandapa of Viharamanas in Delwara Rishabha Temple of Mt. Abu, Rajasthan.

The Videhas (Afghanistan and Tarim Basin), had a total of 20 Tirthankars between them. The first Simandhara Swami was from Purva or East Videha (Tarim Basin) while Yugandhara Swami was from Apara or West Videha (Afghanistan.)

Achārya Kundakunda traveled outside of India and had wrote of Jainism practiced in various places abroad. Just as Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon were practiced internationally, as were Zoroastrianism (which originated in Kashmir), so was Jainism and Tirthānkaras existed abroad.

He wrote in his Pravacanasāra:
There are 5 Videhas, and each of them has 4 regional divisions (20 total regional divisions), and that 8 kingdoms (which can have 1 Tirthānkara each) exist within all of them (160 kingdoms and Tirthānkaras total.)

Sudarṣana-dvipa (which he writes as Jambu-dvipa) has 1 Videha, and can have a total of 32 Tirthānkaras (1 for each of Sudarṣana-Dvipa's the Videha kingdoms.)

Puṣkara-dvipa (which he calls 'Puṣkara-vara') has 2 Videhas, or a potential of 64 Tirthānkaras.

Kraunc̣a-dvipa (which he calls 'Dhātakikhanda') also has 2 Videhas, or a potential of 64 Tirthānkaras.

List of Tirthankaras of Maha-Videha

Apart from the 24 Tirthankaras of Bharata-varṣa, there have been 20 in between Mahā-Videha or the Videhas (modern Afghan and Tarim Basin regions), known as 'Viharamanas' (Wandering Ones.) The first of them, Simandhara Swami, was born after the era of Kunthunath and before the era of Aranath. We know more about him than any of the other Viharamanas. He was born in the Puskara-Vijaya portion of Purva-Videha.

Tirthankara	Videha	Cognizance	Yakśa	Yakśi
Simandhara Swami[1]	Purva-Videha (Pundarikini city)	Bull	Chandrayana	Panchanguli
Yugmandhara Swami	Apara-Videha
Bahu Swami
Subahu Swami
Sujitnath Swami
Swayamprabha Swami	Purva-Videha
Ruśbhanan Swami
Anantvirya Swami
Soorprabh Swami
Vishālprabha Swami
Vajdhara Swami
Chandranan Swami
Chandrbahu Swami
Bhuyongdev Swami
Iśwar Swami
Nemiprabha Swami
Virsena Swami
Mahābhadra Swami
Devyaśa Swami
Abhivirya Swami

More Travels

Jains were definitely familiar were the geography of the world as more and more of it became discovered. Sanghadasgani in Vasudevahindi wrote abou how traders were expected to buy a license ('Pattak') for trade. He also mentions traders visited eastern Asia like China, southeast Asia like Cambodia, Java, and Sumatra, Europe like Yavanadvipa, and Africa like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunis(ia.)

Kalakāc̣ārya traveled from country to country and made attempts to promote Jainism. He preached in Iran, Java, Borneo, and other nations. However, just as Asoka's attempts to spread Buddhism in Greece and Asia Minor were not successful, so too did those who heard Kalakāc̣ārya's message did not adopt it. Arya Samudra, a Jain pontiff in the Upakésa-Gachchha had traveled S.E. Asian countries. Kalakāc̣ārya was successful in convincing the Saka King Haues to embrace Jainism.

A major port from which ascetics diffused from was Bharukaccha (modern Bharuch.) The great Sakunikavihara was there, which had links to far regions.

List of Śalākāpuruśas or important persons

Kāmadeva	Bāladeva	Nārāyana	Prati-Nārāyana	Ćakravarti		Tirthankara era
Bāhubali				Bharata		Riśabha
Prajāpati				Sāgar		Ajitnāth
Śridhara						Sambhāvanāth
Prasenaćandra						Abhinandannāth
Ćandravarna						Sumatināth
Agniyukta						Padmaprabha
Sanatkumāra						Suparśvanāth
Vatsarāja						Ćandraprabha
Kanakaprabha						Puśpadanta
Meghaprabha						Śeetalnāth
Darśanabhadra						Śreyansanāth
Śāntināth				(Himself)		(His own)
Kunthunāth				(Himself)		(His own)
Aranāth				(Himself)		(His own)
Vijayarāja						Dharmanāth
Śrićandra
Nalarāja
Hanumān	Rāma	Lakśman	Rāvan
Balirāja	Nandimitra (Mandana)	Dattadeva	(Himself)			Mallināth
Vāsudeva	Balarāma	(Himself)	Jarāsandha			Munisuvrata
Prayumna						Namināth
Nāgakumāra						Nemināth
Jivandhara						Pārśva
Jambuswāmi						Mahāvira

Philosophy

Jains in particular have placed a great emphasis on on ethics, more so than other sampradayas most of of the times.

Its system [as the Bhagavati Arādhanā affirms] is:

1. Samyak-darśana (Right viewpoint or attitude)
2. Samyak-jnāna (Right knowledge)
3. Samyak-ćarita (Right conduct)
4. Samyak-tapa (Right penance)

See also

• Yungdrung Bon
• Bauddh Dharm
• Sikh Dharm
• Darsana

External resources

• Jain Shasan-Devtas of Different Gotras
• Jain Tirthankars

Contributors to this article

Himanshu Bhatt, Deval Sancheti, Anu Moorthy

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