"Jain literature refers to the literature of the Jain religion."
A study of the Jain canonical texts, including the Agamas, Purvas, and Angas, which contain the teachings of Mahavira and earlier Tirthankaras.
Jainism: An Introduction: This topic provides an overview of the basic principles, beliefs, and practices of Jainism, and is essential to gaining a foundational understanding of the religion.
Tattvas or the Fundamental Principles: This topic covers the core concepts and principles of Jainism, including karma, soul, and the path to liberation.
Agamas or Jain Scriptures: This topic focuses on the Jain scriptures that contain teachings and practices for the devotees of the religion, and their importance in understanding Jainism.
History and Development of Jainism: This topic explores the history of Jainism, its evolution and growth, and the prominent personalities who contributed to its development.
Jain Philosophy: This topic delves into the philosophy of Jainism, including its metaphysical concepts, epistemology, logic, and ethics.
Jain Cosmology: This topic covers the Jain concept of the universe and its constituent parts, including the role of gods, demons, and other celestial beings.
Jain Theology: This topic studies the Jain concept of the divine, including the nature and attributes of God, and the role of religious practices in spiritual growth.
Jain Rituals and Practices: This topic explores the various rituals and practices that form an integral part of Jainism, including meditation, fasting, and pilgrimage.
Jain Meditation Techniques: This topic focuses on the different techniques of meditation used in Jainism to achieve spiritual growth and self-realization.
Jain Ethics and Morality: This topic covers the principles of morality and ethics in Jainism, including the doctrine of non-violence, truthfulness, and compassion.
Jain Art, Architecture, and Literature: This topic provides an overview of Jain art, architecture, and literature, including its unique features and its significance in the tradition.
Jainism in Modern Times: This topic looks at the current status and challenges facing Jainism, including its global presence, its role in modern society, and its response to contemporary issues.
Angas: These are the oldest and most sacred Jain scriptures consisting of twelve texts that provide guidelines for the ascetics, monks, and nuns.
Upangas: These texts supplement the Angas and provide additional details on topics such as cosmology, astrology, and logic.
Prakirnakas: These texts describe various philosophical and metaphysical concepts of Jainism and provide the framework for the Jain doctrine.
Chhedasutras: These texts provide explanations of various technical terms used in Jain philosophy and scriptures.
Mulasutras: These text provide an overview of Jain ethics and ritual practices.
Karmagranthas: These texts describe the Jain concept of karma and the various ways in which it impacts human life.
Niryuktis: These texts provide guidance on how to interpret the teachings of the Jain scriptures.
"It is a vast and ancient literary tradition."
"It was initially transmitted orally."
"The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas, which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit language."
"Various commentaries were written on these canonical texts by later Jain monks."
"Later works were also written in other languages, like Sanskrit and Maharashtri Prakrit."
"Jain literature is primarily divided between the canons of the Digambara and Śvētāmbara orders."
"These two main sects of Jainism do not always agree on which texts should be considered authoritative."
"More recent Jain literature has also been written in other languages, like Marathi, Tamil, Rajasthani, Dhundari, Marwari, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, and more recently in English."
"The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas, which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit language."
"Jain literature is primarily divided between the canons of the Digambara and Śvētāmbara orders."
"The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas, which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit language."
"Later works were also written in other languages, like Sanskrit and Maharashtri Prakrit."
"It is a vast and ancient literary tradition."
"The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas."
"Various commentaries were written on these canonical texts by later Jain monks."
"These two main sects of Jainism do not always agree on which texts should be considered authoritative."
"More recent Jain literature has also been written in other languages, like Marathi, Tamil, Rajasthani, Dhundari, Marwari, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, and more recently in English."
"Jain literature is primarily divided between the canons of the Digambara and Śvētāmbara orders."
"Later works were also written in other languages, like Sanskrit and Maharashtri Prakrit."