Jainism UPSC Notes: Buddhism and Jainism UPSC PDF Download

Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions. It has its roots in India and dates back at least 2,500 years. The two spiritual objectives of Jainism are the liberation from the never-ending cycle of rebirth and the attainment of the all-knowing condition known as moksha. This can be achieved by leading a life of ahimsa, or nonviolence, with the least harm to other living things. The religion's foundation is the idea that teaches all living creatures the path to liberation and enlightenment through non-violence. The Tirthankaras, a group of 24 liberated spirits adored by Jains, serve as teachers and role models for the devoted. Around 454 C.E., Devardhi presided over the Valabhi Council, which established the Jain Canonical. Rishabhadeva is considered as the first real founder of Jainism.

Jainism UPSC is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Ancient History subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and UPSC Prelims Syllabus General Studies Paper-1.

In this article on Jainism UPSC, let us look at what is Jainism, its origin, expansion, doctrines, sects, svetambaras and digambaras, literature, architecture, teachings of Mahavira for the UPSC IAS Exam.

Causes for the Origin of Jainism

• Jainism became prevalent in the 6th century B.C. when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion.
• There were 24 teachers, referred to as jinas or the Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Lord Mahavira.
• The Vedic religion had turned rigid and orthodox with complicated rituals and the supremacy of Brahmins.
• The Varna system partitioned the people into 4 classes based on their birth, where the two upper classes enjoyed various privileges and the lower castes led a miserable life.
• The Kshatriyas’ reaction toward the domination of the Brahmins.
• The doctrines of Jainism were taught in the Prakrit language, making it more understandable to ordinary people than to Sanskrit.
• Spread of the new agricultural economy in the north-eastern parts of India due to the use of iron tools.

Vardhamana Mahavira

• Vardhamana Mahavira, Jainism's 24th and last Tirthankara, was born in Kundagrama near Vaishali in 540 B.C.
• He belonged to the Jnatrika clan and was related to the royal family of Magadha.
• His father, Siddharta, was the chief of the Jnathrika Kshatriya clan, and his mother, Trishala, was the sister of Chetaka, the king of Vaishali.
• He had a daughter named Anojja with his wife, Yasoda.
• At the age of 30 years, he renounced his home and became an ascetic.
• He practiced austerity for 12 years and acquired the highest spiritual knowledge termed Kaivalya (conquered sorrow and happiness) at 42.
• He delivered his first sermon at Pava.
• From this time until his death, he taught the philosophy of Jainism for 30 years.
• He died at 72 at Pavapuri in Bihar in 468 B.C.

Mahavira and His Teachings

• Mahavira rejected the principles of the Vedic culture.
• He believed in the non-existence of God and that the universe was an outcome of natural phenomena of causality.
• He believed that everyone would be punished or rewarded for their karma.
• He favored a life that was frugal and non-violent.
• Unlike Buddhism, Jainism stressed equality but did not refuse the caste system.

Check out this article on Buddhist Council.

Tirthankaras of Jainism and their Symbols

The list of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism along with their symbols or emblems have been mentioned in the table below.

Tirthankaras	Meaning	Symbols or Emblems
Rishabhanatha or Adinath	Lord Bull or Lord First	Bull
Ajith	Invincible one	Elephant
Shambhava	Auspicious	Horse
Abhinandana	Worship	Ape
Sumati	Wise	Heron
Padmaprabha	Lotus-Bright	Lotus
Suparshva	Good-sided	Swastika
Chandraprabha	Moon-bright	Moon
Suvidi/Pushpadanta	Religious Duties or Blossom-toothed	Dolphin or Sea Dragon
Shitala	Coolness	Shrivatsa
Shreyamsha	Good	Rhinoceros
Vasupujya	Worship by offering possessions	Buffalo
Vimala	Clear	Boar
Ananta	Endless	Hawk/Bear
Dharma	Duty	Thunderbolt
Shanti	Peace	Antelope or Deer
Kunthu	Heap of Jewels	Goat
Ara	Division of time	Nandyavarta or the Fish
Malli	Wrestler	Water Jug
Suvrata or Munisuvrata	Of good vows	Tortoise
Nami/Nimin	Bowing Down or Winking of the Eye	Blue Lotus
Nemi/Arishtanemi	The rim of whose wheel is unhurt	Conch Shell
Parshvanath	Lord serpent	Snake
Vardhamana Mahavira	Prospering great hero	Lion

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The Spread of Jainism

Jainism originated in ancient India and has had a significant impact on the religious and cultural landscape of the region. While Jainism is considered a minority religion today, it has had periods of significant influence and has spread to various parts of India and beyond. Due to the Brahmanical religion's weakness, the religion rapidly spread to Western India. Instead of using Sanskrit, which the Brahmanas preferred, Prakrit was utilised to preach the doctrines. When Chandragupta Maurya converted to Jainism and spent his final years as a Jain monk in Karnataka, Jainism began to spread there. 200 years after Mahavira's demise, a severe famine in Magadha led to the expansion of Jainism in India (South). Many Jainas fled to the south under Bhadrabahu's leadership to protect themselves.

Check out this article on Sufism in India.

The Idea of God in Jainism

In Jainism, the idea of God is quite different from the concept found in many other religions. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion emphasising non-violence, self-control, and spiritual liberation. It strongly emphasises individual responsibility and the pursuit of enlightenment, known as moksha or nirvana. Jainism does not believe in a supreme creator or ruler of the universe. Instead, it teaches that every living being has the potential to achieve liberation and become divine through self-realization and the purification of the soul. The Jains believe that each soul, known as a jiva, is intrinsically divine and possesses infinite knowledge, perception, and bliss.

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The Split of Jainism

• The Jain order has been divided into two important sects or schools: Digambara and Svetambara.
• The split occurred primarily due to the great famine in Magadha that forced a group of Jainas under the leadership of Bhadrabahu to move to South India.
• Over the 12 years of famine, the group in South India was pinned to strict traditions, while the group in Magadha adopted a looser attitude and started to wear white clothes.
• When the Jaina group in South India returned to Magadha following the end of the famine, the change in practices resulted in the division of Jainism into two sects.

Check out this article on Medieval History UPSC Notes.

Differences between the Sects of Jainism

Digambaras	Shvetambaras
Digambara means sky clad. Digambaras stressed on nudism as the absolute prerequisite to accomplishing salvation.	Shvetambara means white-clad. Shvetambaras defend that complete nudism is not required for attaining salvation.
The sect represents the Jainas who shifted to the south under the leadership of Bhadrabahu when the great famine took place in Magadha 200 years after Mahavira’s death.	The sect represents the Jainas who stayed back in Magadha under the leadership of Sthulabahu when the great famine struck Magadha.
According to the tradition of Digambara sect, in attaining enlightenment, an all-knowing person does not encounter hunger, thirst, sleep, disease or fear.	According to the tradition of the Shvetambara sect, an omniscient or an all-knowing person does have the necessity of food.
The Digambara sect believes that a woman does not have the required body and will power to attain liberation and that she has to be born again as a man for such an attainment to be possible. Hence, this school of Jainism refuses to accept the 19th Tirthankara as a female, but rather as a male named Mallinatha.	The Shvetambara sect believes that a woman has the capacity of attaining spiritual accomplishments similar to men. This school of Jainism accepts the 19th Tirthankara as a female named Mali (the only woman Tirthankara).
Digambara tradition believes that Lord Mahavira never married and that he renounced the world even when his parents were still alive.	Mahavira did get married and led a normal life of a householder till the age of 30 and that he became an ascetic only after the death of his parents.
Digambara tradition represents the image of a Tirthankara as nude, simple and with eyes downcast in a meditative mood.	Shvetambara tradition represents the image of a Tirthankara as wearing a loincloth, ornamented with jewels and with glass eyes embedded in the marble.
The Digambaras use the term “Purana” for the hagiographies .	The Shvetambaras make use of the term “Charita” for this purpose.
An ascetic of the Digambara sect must give up all his belongings including clothes and is permitted to have a Rajoharana (a broom made of peacock feather to brush away insects) and a Kamandalu (a water pot made of wood for toilet hygiene).	An ascetic of the Shvetambara sect is allowed to have fourteen possessions including a loincloth, shoulder cloth, etc.
Digambaras refused to accept the accomplishments of the first council under the leadership of Acharya Sthulibhadra and the redrafting of the angas.	The Shvetambaras believed in the legitimacy and holiness of the canonical literature comprising the 12 angas and sutras.

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Sub-sects of Jainism

Each of the two sects of Jainism, the Digambara and Svetambara got divided into several major and minor sub-sects based on the changes in recognizing or interpreting the religious writings and the observance of religious traditions.

The Digambara Sect

• The sect follows all five vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya).
• Bhadrabahu was a proponent of this sect of Jainism.
• Major Sub-Sects of Digambara
  • Mula Sangh
  • Bisapantha
  • Terapantha
  • Taranpantha or Samaiyapantha
• Minor Sub-Sects of Digambara
  • Gumanapantha
  • Totapantha

The Svetambara Sect

• The sect follows only four vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha).
• Sthulabhadra was a proponent of this sect of Jainism.
• Major Sub-Sects of Svetambara
  • Murtipujaka
  • Sthanakvasi
  • Terapanthi

The Doctrines of Jainism

• Among Buddhism and Jainism, the doctrines of Jainism are much older than that of Buddhism.
• Tirthankara in Jainism refers to 24 enlightened spiritual teachers believed to have attained perfect knowledge through asceticism.
• Jainas don’t see Mahavira as the founder of the religion but as the 24th Tirthankara.
• Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara, is considered the primary founder and has been mentioned in Rig Vega and Vayu Purana.
• Neminatha of Saurashtra, Gujarat and Parshvanatha of Banaras is believed to be the 22nd and the 23rd Tirthankaras, respectively.

Anekantavada

• As per this doctrine, substances have endless modes of presence and qualities. Hence, it would only be possible to completely understand them in some aspects and manifestations by limited human perception.
• Only the Kevalins, the all-knowing persons, can understand substances in all aspects and manifestations; the rest are capable of only partial knowledge.
• Anekantavada is the concept of “non- one-sidedness” or “many-sidedness”, which translates to “non-absolutism”.

Syadavada 

• According to Syadvada in Jainism, all judgments are conditional and hold good only under certain conditions, circumstances or situations.
• As reality is complicated, only some arguments can completely articulate reality's nature.
• Thus the word “syat” with the meaning ‘maybe’ should be given as a prefix before each proposition, providing it with a conditional point of view and thus removing any presumption.

Nayavada 

• Nayavada is the assumption of partial standpoints or perspectives. The philosophy of Nayavada denotes the system of explaining reality from several points of view.
• “Naya” can be understood as partly true statements but cannot lay claim to absolute legitimacy.
• This can also be outlined as a specific opinion drawn up with a viewpoint that does not rule out other viewpoints and is an expression of a partial truth about an object.

Triratna 

• To achieve the soul's liberation, the three jewels of Jaina ethics must be followed.
• Tenets of Jainism primarily seek liberation, which doesn't require ritual. It is achievable by following three principles, the Three Jewels or Triratna.

• Samyag Darshana (Right faith): This means to see (hear, feel, etc.) things correctly, avoiding preconceived notions and superstitions that may get in the way of viewing clearly.
• Samyag Jnana (Right knowledge): This means having precise and adequate knowledge of the real universe. This necessitates a real knowledge of the five substances and nine truths of the universe with the proper mental attitude.
• Samyag Charitra (Right conduct): This means avoiding harm to living beings and liberating oneself from impure thoughts and attitudes.

Pancha Mahavrata

• In order to accomplish Triratna, one has to follow the Pancha Mahavrata or the five great vows.

Ahimsa (Non-violence) 

• Non-violence is the supreme religion (Ahimsa parmo dharma).
• Non-violence is the fundamental aspect of Jainism.
• No living being has the right to hurt, harm or kill another living being, including animals, plants and insects.
• Jainism has four forms of existence – gods, humans, hell beings, animals, and plants.
• Tiryancha is further divided into ekendriyas with only one sense and nigodas with only a sense of touch.
• A common man following Jainism should not harm organisms with two or more senses, while monks must refrain from hurting even ekendriyas.
• Jainism strictly preaches vegetarianism, forbidding harming animals with two or more senses.
• In Jainism, non-violence is seen in one’s action, speech, and thought.

Satya (Truth) 

• In Jainism, one should always speak up for the truth; there is no place for lies.
• People who have won greed, fear, envy, anger and ego can only speak the truth.

Asteya (Non-stealing) 

• Jainism is against robbing or grabbing others’ property by unethical means.
• Even when you are getting any help or alms, you should never take more than what is needed.

Brahmacharya (Chastity) 

• Chastity refers to refraining completely from sensual pleasures.
• Jainism even prohibits the thought of sensual pleasure.
• Of the five vows, monks are needed to follow this vow completely. At the same time, an ordinary man following the religion must not be involved in a physical relationship other than with one’s partner.

Aparigraha (Non-attachment) 

• A person seeking spiritual liberation must pull out from all possessions to objects that may please the five senses.
• Mahavira said, "Needs and desires have no end, and the sky’s the limit for them”.
• The wealth that a common man wishes to achieve creates an attachment that will continuously cause greed, envy, selfishness, ego, enmity, cruelty, etc.
• It might be difficult for a common man to follow all the five vows. Hence they can obey them as far as possible. The vows that are partly followed are called “Anuvratas” meaning partial vow.

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Jain Literature

The literature on Jains is classified into two major categories:

Agam Literature

• His followers compiled (Lord Mahavir’s) teachings of jainism into several texts. The collection of these texts is together known as Agams, the holy books of the Jain religion.
• Agam literature is further divided into two groups:
  • Ang-agama – The texts that contain the direct preachings of Lord Mahavira that were compiled by Ganadharas, immediate disciples of Mahavira.
  • All Ganadharas possessed perfect knowledge.
  • They verbally compiled the preachings of Mahavira into twelve main texts called Ang-agams.
  • Ang-bahya-agams – The texts that are expansions of Ang-agams are known as Ang-bahya-agams. Shrutakevalin compiled these.
  • The ascetics who had the knowledge of at least ten Purvas were called Shrutakevalin.
  • Shrutakevalin wrote several texts expanding on the matter given in the Ang-agams.
• The twelfth Ang-agam is known as Drastivad. It consists of fourteen Purva texts, known as Purva-agams. Among Ang-agams, Purva-agams was the oldest text.
• They were written in the Prakrit language.
• Non-Agam Literature
• The non-agam literature consists of commentaries and explanations of the Agam literature. It also contains works compiled by elder monks, nuns and scholars.
• They were written in various languages like Prakrit, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Hindi, German, English, etc.

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Jain Architecture

Jain architecture does not have a style of its own. Rather it was an offshoot of Hindu and Buddhist styles.

The different types of Jain architecture are given below.

Gumphas / Layana (Caves)

• Ellora Caves- Maharashtra
• Mangi Tungi Cave- Maharashtra
• Gajpantha Cave- Maharashtra
• Udayagiri-Khandagiri Caves- Odisha
• Hathi-gumpha Cave- Odisha
• Sittanavasal Cave- Tamil Nadu

Statues

• Gomateshwara/Bahubali Statue in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka
• Statue of Ahimsa(Rishabnatha) in Mangi-Tungi hills, Maharashtra

Jinalayas

• Dilwara Temple in Mount Abu, Rajasthan
• Girnar and Palitana Temple in Gujarat
• Muktagiri Temple in Maharashtra

Check out this article on the Difference between Janapadas and Mahajanpadas.

The Jain Councils

Various Jain councils have been mentioned in the Jain texts related to modifying and editing Jain Agamas or sacred texts.

• First Jain Council
• This was held at Patliputra, Bihar, in the 3rd Century B.C. and was presided by Sthulabhadra.
• Second Jain Council
• This was held at Vallabhi, Gujarat, in 512 A.D. and was presided by Devardhi Kshmasramana.
• The ultimate compilation of the 12 Angas and 12 Upangas took place.

The specific dates of councils are not cited in the texts written before Jinaprabhamuni’s Sandehavisausadhi of 1307 CE. The subsequent texts state that the last Vallabhi council was held 980 or 993 years after the death of the last Tirthankara Mahavira.

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