जैन धर्म का इतिहास और साहित्य
From the eternal teachings of the Tirthankaras to the written Agams. A journey of non-violence, truth, and the preservation of divine knowledge across millennia.
The entire lifestyle of a Jain Shravak (Layman) and Sadhu (Monk) emanates from five fundamental vows.
"If you kill someone, it is yourself you kill. If you overpower someone, it is yourself you overpower. If you torment someone, it is yourself you torment. If you harm someone, it is yourself you harm."
From Oral Tradition to Written Scriptures
Pre-500 A.D.
Lord Mahavira's preaching was orally compiled by his disciples (Gandharas). For nearly 1,000 years, this divine knowledge was transferred orally from Acharya to disciple. Scriptures were considered 'possession' (Parigraha), so monks did not document them.
~500 A.D.
1,000 years after Mahavira's Nirvana, Acharyas realized human memory was fading and knowledge was being lost. To preserve the remaining knowledge, they decided to document the Jain literature (Agams) despite the vow of non-possession.
Ancient - 1500 A.D.
The two major sects, Digambara and Svetambara, were already established. Around 1500 A.D., the Svetambara sect further divided into sub-sects: Murtipujak, Sthanakvasi, and Terapanthi.
The wisdom of Jainism is categorized into two main streams: the original canonical texts and the later commentaries.
These are the original scriptures compiled by the Gandharas and Srut-kevalis. They are the most sacred texts, primarily written in the Prakrit language (Ardhamagadhi).
This consists of commentaries, explanations of Agams, and independent works compiled by elder monks, nuns, and scholars over centuries. These works exist in many languages including Sanskrit, Old Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil.
Understanding the timeline and divisions.