Knowledge Nugget: Mahavir Jayanti 2025 — Why is Jaina philosophy important for UPSC?

Why in the news?

Mahavir Jayanti, also referred to as Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak, is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and the last ‘Thirthankara’ of Jainism. This year it is celebrated on 10th April.

Lord Mahavir was born to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala in Kundalagrama in Bihar in 540 BCE. His mother, Trishala, was the sister of Licchavi chief Chetaka. He renounced his crown and spent 12 years as an ascetic away from all kinds of worldly pleasures at the age of 30.

Key Takeaways:

1. Mahavir spent 30 years travelling across India to teach his philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity), and Aparigraha (non-attachment), which later became the fundamental principles of Jainism.

2. The Jaina doctrine of anekantavada (manifold nature of reality) and syadavada (the doctrine of maybe) insists that reality cannot be grasped entirely as it is complex and has multiple aspects. Everything that exists has three aspects – substance (dravya), quality (guna), and mode (paryaya).

3. About souls (jivas), Jaina philosophy believes that all souls are equal. All souls are equipped with four infinites (anantacatustaya) i.e, infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite power, and infinite bliss.

4. It believes that the cycle of birth and rebirth is linked to karma. Jains held that even unintentional activities generate karma, they sought to avoid not only those modes of livelihood that clearly and always cause harm to the living, but also any which might do so incidentally or occasionally. Almost from its inception, a number of common occupations including agriculture, animal transportation and animal by-product trades were thus deemed unsuitable for a practising Jain.

“Death is not for me. Why then should I fear?

Discasc is not for me. Why then should I despair? I am not a child, nor a youth, nor an old man— All these states are only of my body.”

– Jain monk Pujyapada (4th century CE)

5. The triratna (three gems) of Jainism, also called the path of liberation, consists of right faith (samyag-darshana), right knowledge (samyag-jnana), and right conduct (samyag-charitra). There are five great vows (panchamahavrata) for monks and nuns that needs to be followed- observing non-violence in thoughts, speech and action (ahimsa); not to utter any falsehood (satya/sunrita); not to take what is not given, i.e., not to steal (asteya); renouncing of all passions (brahmacharya); and non-possession, to call nothing one’s own (aparigraha).

Tirthankar circuit (Source: Bihar Bhawan)

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Sects of Jainism

1. According to Upinder Singh, “At some point in its early history, perhaps by c. 300 CE, the Jaina sangha came to be divided into two sects—the Digambara (sky-clad) and the Shvetambara (white-clad) sects.” According to the Jaina tradition, at the end of the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, a serious famine led to the migration of a section of Jain monks from the Ganges to the Deccan.

2. According to some accounts, Bhadrabahu was the leader of the migrating group that spent 12 years in the Karnataka region. When the followers of Bhadrabahu came back to the region, they found that the northern monks, led by Sthulabhadra, had started wearing clothes. This led to the emergence of two sects of Jainas, Digambara (“Space-clad” i.e naked) and Shvetambaras (“White clad”).

3. Digambara tradition holds that a woman has to be reborn as a man before she can attain salvation. The Shvetambaras, however, acknowledge the possibility of women attaining jina-hood.

4. The earliest texts of Jainas were written in Ardh-Magadhi and collectively known as the Siddhanta or Agama. The Shvetambara canon includes the 12 Angas, Upangas, Prakirnas, Cheda Sutras, and Mula Sutras. The angas were compiled at the council held at Pataliputra, according to Shvetambara tradition. The entire canon was supposedly compiled in the 5th or 6th century at a council held in Valabhi in Gujarat, presided over by Devarddhi Kshamashramana.

5. Other important Jaina literature includes Jaina Puranas called Charitas by Shvetambaras. The life of the first tirthankara Rishabha is detailed in the Adi Purana (9th century). The 8th century Harivamsha Purana gives a Jaina version of the stories of the Kauravas, Pandavas, Krishna, Balarama, and others. In Parishishtaparvan (12th century) of Hemachandra history of the earliest Jaina teachers and certain details of political history were mentioned.

Post read question

(1) With reference to ancient Jainism, which one of the following statements is correct? (2004)

(a) Jainism was spread in South India under the leadership of Sthalabahu

(b) The Jainism who remained under the leadership of Bhadrabahu were called Shvetambaras after the council held at Pataliputra

(c) Jainism enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga king Kharavela in the 1st century BC

(d) In the initial stage, of Jainism, the Jain worshipped images unlike Buddhists

(2) With reference to the religious practices in India, the “Sthanakvasi” sect belongs to (2018)

(a) Buddhism

(b) Jainism

(c) Vaishnavism

(d) Shaivism

(3) The concept of Anuvrata was advocated by (1995)

(a) Mahayana Buddhism

(b) Hinayana Buddhism

(c) Jainism

(d) The Lokayukta School

(Source: Bihar Bhawan, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India of Upinder Singh, The Wonder that was India by A. L. Basham)

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