Jains believe that in the present cycle of the universe, 24 great people have reached perfection. One of the puranas describes rishabha as an incarnation of narayana. The oldest jain literature is in shauraseni and ardhamagadhi prakrit agamas, agamatulya, siddhanta texts, etc. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras. The knowledge of shrutajnana, may be of things which are contained in the angas limbs or sacred jain books or of. Rather, there are many religious texts the most wellknown of which are the agams that include transcriptions of the oral history provided to us by tirthankars and jain teachers, as well as scholarly commentary on the interpretation of the religion. Unlike monotheistic traditions, the jains do not have a unique holy book that characterises their faith. The jain tradition believes that their religion is eternal, and the teachings of their first. The texts had to be memorised since jain monks and nuns were not allowed to possess religious books as part of their vow of nonacquisition.
The world of jainism this is the best book on jainism. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Mahavira 6th century bc is said to be the historical founder. Books on jainism and jain philosophy hindu website.
Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it has many books compiled by several gandharas and srutkevalis. There are six highly recommended books that together form an excellent literary introduction to jainism and the jain way of thinking. Michael tobias has described nonviolanceahimsa in great details. This point is proved by what is said in the following quotes from oldest hindu holy books that jainism existed before vedas were composed. Good books can change your thinking and thinking can change your life. Please pledge to do swadhyay for at least 510 minutes each day. The holy book of islam per god revelation to jesus is the bible. Religion and culture of the jains by jyoti prasad jain 1983, bharatiya jnanpith will provide an orderly and clear exposition of jainism as a philosophy and way of life, jain history, and the jains as. The primary set of svetambara canonical scriptures, the a. Which of the following were the holy texts of jainism. The word jain is taken from the word jina, which means getting victory over thy self and the peripheral world. Jainworld is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism mahaviras disciples compiled his. Jainism also believes in the hindu principle of samsara or the endless cycle of births and rebirths.
The strength of the book its thoroughness and density also may be a deterrent to the new reader. Wear clean clothes, wash your hands and feet and if you have eaten something make sure to gargle and clean your mouth. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. The suryaprajnaptisutra, a 4th or 3rd century bce astronomy text of svetambara jains. The agam sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. Jainism has no specific holy book but an amalgamation of scriptures called agams. Hindus are in a similar position, even though they have the vedas, which can be considered the ultimate source of teaching. There was also knowledge from the tradition of prelord mahavir, that is from lord. The principles of jain doctrine are stressed, often contrasted with rival beliefs, while. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina mahavira. Angas also known as agamas are 45 sacred texts of jainism based on the discourse of the tirthankara.
All worldly life is unsatisfactory, disjointed, containing suffering. In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self. Jaina canon, the sacred texts of jainism, a religion of india, whose authenticity is disputed between sects. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. Ultimate goal of life is eternal release from karma. This is a complete e book of on the indian sect of the jainas, by johann georg buhler. According to jain tradition their religion is quite old, even anterior to aryan brahmanism. The mahaviras oral teachings as recorded in 12 angas and up angas jainism. Digambara adhyatma texts are based on the purvas while the svetambara agamas. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india.
The last 24 th tirthankara vardamana mahaveera, lived during 6 th century b. Followers of jainism are called jains, a word derived from the sanskrit word jina victor referring to the path of victory in crossing over lifes stream of rebirths by destroying karma through an ethical and spiritual life. These 24 tirthankaras teachers, their work and philosophy together gave rise to jainism. These scriptures or agams are based on the discourses of the tirthankaras. Where did chandragupta maurya died by following jaina ideal.
The holy book per god revelation to muhammad is the quran. Zoroastrianism, in spite of its small current number of adherents, has played a huge role in the study of comparative religion. The jain agams consisted of 1 14 purvas, 2 12 angpravishthaagams and 3 angbahyaagams 34 for shwetambar murtipujak, 21 for shwetambar sthanakvasi and 14 for digambar. The yajurveda mentions rishabha, ajinatha and aristanemi.
Jainism, very much like buddhism, developed as an offshoot of the hindu religion. Unlike most common monotheistic religions, jainism does not have one holy book that characterizes their faith. We have certain scriptures which are considered as very sacred. These scriptures are said to have contained the most comprehensive and accurate description of every branch of learning that one needs to know. Followers of jainism are called jains and must observe five major vows. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. It maintained many of the hindu beliefs such as samsara, karma and nirvana. For many years the knowledge of agams was transmitted. The kebra nagast and the holy piby for rastafarianism.
Rishabanath was founder of jainism and first tirthankara. There are 24 trithankaras in jaina and all of them kshartiyas. The jainism has its own scriptures called agamas or srutas, which are directly derived from the tirthankaras. These discourses are termed as srutu jnana and comprises eleven angas and fourteen purvas.
Agam literature consists of many texts, which are the sacred books of the jain religion. The law also determines the conditions of each rebirth according to the acts performed in the previous life. Thus the original sacred books of both the jainas and the buddhist. This religion teaches copious moral and ethical way of life. They are believed to have been verbally transmitted by the oral. The three holy books torah, bible, and quran are god revelation and not man made and written texts. It treats of the akara, or conduct, which falls under the last of the four heads, or anuyogas, into which the sacred lore is divided, viz. The jinas are considered more respectable than the gods. Holy akaranga sutra the akaranga sutra, or, as it is sometimes called, the samayika, is the first of the eleven angas. These texts are the holy scriptures of the jain religion. They are written in the ardhamagadhi prakrit language. Jainism differs from many religions in that there is no one scripture or holy book that is central to our faith. What are the names of the main religious book and the.
Jainism religion bhagwan mahavir jain symbol belief. The jain literature, which was compiled by ganadharas and srutkevlis, is known as agam literature. Pravachanasara, samaysara, niyamsara, pancastikayasara, ashtapahuda, kasayapahuda and shatkhandagama are considered agamic texts by digambaras. Holy book of jains is agamas, and not angas reply delete. In india, they share this feature with the buddhists. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. General knowledge questions about jainism important gk. Nonviolence is the supreme religion ahimsa parmo dharma. Jainism is one of the oldest religions of the world. Agams are the jain texts which are based on the discourse. Agama is a sanskrit word which signifies the coming of a body of doctrine by means of transmission through a lineage of authoritative teachers. Jainism believes in the hindu law of karma that from good must come good and from evil, evil. Can be translated as crossing makers or ford finders.
The svetambara canon consists principally of 45 works divided as follows. Canonical and commentarial literature the svetambara works cover a variety of topics, including a list of the tirthankaras, or jinas jaina saviours, exploits and teachings of these figures, and doctrines. Religion and culture of the jains by jyoti prasad jain 1983, bharatiya jnanpith will provide an orderly and clear. While the majority of pilgrimage places in india are sacred to the followers of hinduism, there are numerous holy sites of other religions such as jainism, buddhism and islam. Jainism is a religion and philosophy native to india founded in about the 6th century bc by the sage mahavira. The jain literature which was complied by ganadharas and srutkevlis is known as agam literature. Selfdiscipline and asceticism are thus major focuses of jainism. The book presents jainism in a way that is authentic and engaging to specialists and nonspecialists alike. Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being. What are the names of the main religious book and the religion it belongs to. Jainism 46 books share book recommendations with your.
However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. A collective term used by the jains for their sacred books is. General knowledge questions about jainism previously asked general knowledge questions about jainism 1. Holy texts of jainism12 angasfifth tenet added by mahavira. The existing agam sutras are accepted as the authentic preaching of lord mahavir by the swetambar sects, but the digambar sect does not accept them as authentic. Well, whatever sri gautam swami, the gandhar or the prime student of lord mahavir got from thee, he compiled it into 12 parts called as dwadas twelve angas. Among these five vows, nonviolence ahimsa is the cardinal principle of jainism and hence it is known as the cornerstone of jainism. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran. Buddhism and jainism are two branches of the samana tradition that still exists today. Excellent book on jainism 12 years ago thursday, january 6, 2011. The reason is very simple, this book consists of a biography of lord mahavira in detail, and the lives of the other prophets tirthankaras.
It can be regarded as the offshoot of brahmanism in india during the 6 th century bc, with the initiation of tirthankaras among whom mahavira was said to be the last and the 24 th tirthankaras. The new testament contains the sinodos, the books of the covenant, clement, and the didascalia. The primary holy book of the jewish faith is known as the torah, which comprises the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy. The holy book of jainism is known as the kalpa sutra or. General knowledge questions about jainism important gk and. They are humans who achieve enlightenment via asceticism. Special commentaries called niryuktis and one great commentary, mahabhashya, written by jain monks are also considered cannonical literature.
This is a rare collection of jain scriptures on various topics. May 22, 2019 jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. This is one of the most important differences between the two groups in jainism, and it means that jain texts have very different roles for the two groups of jains. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. In the rigvedic hymns, theere are clear referance torishabha and arishtanem tow of the jaina tirthankarasi.
Drawing from jainism s copious and influential narrative tradition, the author explores the inner. Instead they have a body of holy writings or scriptures. Scripture is the synonym of the holy text, which consists of religious dogmas, and assertions of an authentic authority apta purusa. They may also include the book of jubilees, book of enoch, 1 baruch, 4 baruch, as well as 1, 2, and 3 meqabyan no relation to the books of maccabees. Parasparopagraho jivanam the function of souls is to help one another is the motto of jainism. Gautamasvami is said to have compiled the most sacred canonical scriptures comprising twelve parts, also referred to as eleven angas and fourteen purvas, since the twelfth anga comprises the fourteen purvas. According to the jains, the canonical literature originated from the first tirthankara rishabhanatha. These 12 parts are called as 12 angassanskrit word for parts. Before mahaviras time, oral tradition prevailed where the guru passed on his knowledge to his disciple through word of mouth. Jains are very caring over the environment, they wear masks over. Jainism holy books containing the teachings of mahavira. The only two beliefs that are new to jainism relate to extreme self denial and the sanctity of life.
The holy book of jains the kalpa sutra is the holy book of the of jainism religion. The discourse is recorded by ganadharas chief disciples, and is composed of twelve angas. The jains, a small religious group believing in an immortal soul, are indigenous to india, and affirm many of the ideas of their hindu counterparts, but are critical of other hindu doctrines. Buddhism and jainism originated from the prevailing pessimism of the time and. Our intention behind our actions of body, mind, and speech bind us with karma.
A guide for the perplexed is a clear and thorough account of this fascinating tradition, explaining many basic jain values, beliefs and practices in the same way they are taught to jains themselves, through the medium of sacred narratives. The following list of books incorporates a number of salient points of view, and they would be especially good for those not raised as jains. Sanskrit verse from shivpuran lord rishabhdev jineshwar first tirthankar the omniscient and the all pervasive incarnated himself on the magnificent kailas ashtapad mountain. There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or desire rooted in ignorance. These are said to be based on the discourse of the tirthankara, delivered in a samavasarana divine preaching hall. Fundamental beliefs of jainism the soul is bounded by karma from the beginning of time the principles governing the successions of life cycles birth, life, and death is karma. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. Thus, the twelve angas are the oldest and original part of the canonical literature.
The other chief jain sect, the digamabaras, counts different texts in its canon, which they call the siddhanta. There was also knowledge from the tradition of prelord mahavir, that is from lord parshvanaths tradition and even from before that. Jan 06, 2011 well, whatever sri gautam swami, the gandhar or the prime student of lord mahavir got from thee, he compiled it into 12 parts called as dwadas twelve angas. A comprehensive ebook on the mythology, cosmology, divinities and thinthankaras of jainism or jain dharma. Jainism is one of the most ancient religions that originated in eastern india and it was founded around the 6th century. Instead they have a collection of holy writings and scriptures. These texts are collectively known as agams, the sacred books of the jain religion. In which of following buddhist councils compilation of holy books was completed. There are many texts in jainism including fortyone sutras, called angas, which teach the concepts, philosophy and code of conduct for jains. Scripture is the synonym of the holy text, which consists of religious dogmas, and.
1386 626 1329 1102 505 858 375 1300 173 415 958 871 370 24 488 216 634 1073 1063 1451 1353 813 390 555 216 342 492 345 1478 1035 849 593 764 871 933