| Abhavya |
One who is incapable of attaining moksha. |
| Abhigraha |
Resolution. |
| Abhisheka |
Anointing ceremony. |
| Abrahma-varjana |
Abandonment of all incontience. |
| Acaksurdarshana |
Perception by means of the senses other than visual. |
| Acharya/ji |
A Sadhu who learned, mastered and taught religious scriptures, follows them, and is now the head of a Sangh. Head of a mendicant group, spiritual leader and monk-scholar. |
| Adhi |
Two and a half. |
| Adho-loka |
The lower world. The home of infernal beings. |
| Agama |
Scripture. Canonical literature. |
| Aghati |
The four types of karmas whose powers are much milder than those of the four-ghati karmas. These powers end at the end of a life. |
| Agni |
Fire. |
| Ahimsa |
Non-violence, non-harming. The supreme mahavrat or anuvrat that all Jains must adhere to. Jain religion is remarkable in that it upholds nonviolence as the supreme religion (Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah) and has insisted upon its observance in thought, word, and deed at the individual as well as social levels. |
| Ahimsa Paramo Dharma |
'Non-violence as the supreme religion.' |
| Ailaka |
The highest state of a Digambara layman, wherein he retains only one piece of clothing. |
| Akasha |
Space. |
| Aloka-akasha |
Totally empty space. |
| Amari |
Prohibition of animal sacrifice. |
| Anekaantvaad |
'Non-singular conclusivity' or multiplicity of viewpoints. The concept that humans, with obstructed knowledge, will only be able to see limited parts of any whole (situation or truth). |
| Antaraay |
A Ghati karma that obstructs the strength of a soul. |
| Anuvrat |
A vow that is not as strict as a Mahavrat. Anuvrats are for people living family lives. The five vratas are: Ahimsa (non-violence), truth, non-stealing, non-possessiveness and chastity or self-control. |
| Aparigraha |
Non-possessiveness. One of the mahavrats and anuvrats. |
| Ara |
One of the six divisions of time in one half of the time cycle. Runs from thousands to billions of years. We are currently in the 5th ara of the descending half of the time cycle, which started some 2500 years ago. |
| Arambhatyaga-himsa |
Violence occurring either accidentally or through the performance of an acceptable occupation. |
| Arati |
The lamp-waving ceremony. |
| Ardha-phalaka |
A piece of cloth worn by ancient Jaina monks. |
| Arihant |
Conqueror of internal enemies, such as anger, pride, deceit, greed, jealousy, hatred, intrigue and various other passions. |
| Ashrava |
Karmic influx. One of the nine tattvas. |
| Asteya |
Non-stealing. One of the mahavrats and anuvrats. |
| Atishaya |
Thirty-five special attributes of Tirthankaras. |
| Atithi |
One who may come any time, unexpectedly, without invitation, and is still welcomed with love and respect. |
| Atma |
Soul. |
| Avamaudarya |
Eating only a very small portion of food. |
| Avarsarpini |
Regressive half of the time cycle. |
| Ayu karma |
Karma that determines the span of a given lifetime. |
| Ayushya |
An aghati karma that determines how long you will live. |
| Bandh |
Karmic bondage. One of the nine tattvas. |
| Beindriya |
Souls that live with two sense, namely touch and taste. |
| Bhante |
Repected (Lord). |
| Bharat |
Name of a kshetra. We live in Bharat Kshetra. It is located in the southern part of Jambu Dweep (look at geography section for more details). |
| Bhav |
Internal. States of a dravya. Thoughts, contemplations. |
| Bhoga-antaraya |
Karma that restricts enjoyment. |
| Brahmacharya |
Physical control, abstinence, chastity. One of the mahavrats and anuvrats. Jainism emphasizes abstinence from over-indulgence, voluntary curtailment of one's needs, and the consequent subsiding of the aggressive urge. For shravaks and shravikas, this also means remaining sexually monogamous to one's own spouse. For sadhus and sadhvis this entails strict abstinence. |
| Brahmacharya-ashrama |
The life of a student. The first of four stages that a Jain shravak and shravika are recommended to pass through in his or her lifetime. |
| Charitra |
Conduct. |
| Chattari |
Four |
| Chauvisantho |
A prayer to the twenty-four Tirthankaras of this kaal in Bharat Kshetra. We list, bow and praise them for their great virtues. |
| Choindriya |
Soul that lives with four senses, namely touch, taste, smell and sight. |
| Chovisi |
A group of twenty-four. |
| Dana |
Charity. Alms-giving. |
| Dana-antaraya |
A type of karma that hinders the practice of charity. |
| Darshan |
Vision. Intuition. Insight. Perception. A system of philosophy. A pure soul has infinite vision. |
| Darshana varaniya |
A ghati karma that obstructs the capacity of a soul to see things clearly. |
| Dev |
A soul in heaven, or at a high spiritual level. |
| Deva-dusya |
'Divine' cloth. A finely woven piece of cloth. |
| Devlok |
Heaven. The place where devs reside. |
| Dhariya |
Patience. A pure soul has infinite patience. |
| Dharma |
Holy law. Elements in Buddhist doctrine. Righteousness (ten forms). |
| Dharma dravya |
The principle of motion. |
| Dharma tirtha |
Holy path. |
| Dhivyadhvani |
Miraculous sound. When a Tirthankara attains enlightenment, this sound emerges from them, silent, yet understood by every living thing in his or her own language. |
| Digambara |
Sky-clad. Name of the Jaina sect whose mendicants practice ascetic nudity. |
| Dravya |
Substance. |
| Dukkadam |
Forgive me (or dissolve my mistakes). |
| Dvija |
Twice-born. |
| Dweep |
Island. A large isolated area. There are two and a half dweeps, each with three kshetras in them. |
| Eka |
One or unitary. |
| Ekantavada |
Extremism. Absolutist doctrine. |
| Eka sataka |
A mendicant who wears a single piece of cloth. |
| Ekendriya |
A being with only one sense faculty- that of touch. A synonym for sthavara beings. |
| Ganadhara/ji |
The first mendicant disciples of Tirthankaras. Supporters of the order. Mahavir had eleven, the most famous of which was Gautamswami. |
| Gandhasti |
The best elephant. |
| Ghati |
The four types of karmas, whose powers are much stronger than those of the aghati karmas. Karmas that have a vitiating effect upon the qualities of the soul. These powers may last for many lives. |
| Ghoratavassi |
One who practices severe austerities. |
| Gnan (jnana) |
Knowledge. A pure soul has infinite knowledge. |
| Gnanavaraniya |
A ghati karma that obstructs the capacity of soul to know things in their purest forms. |
| Gotra karma |
Karmas that determine environmental circumstances. |
| Gruhasth-ashrama |
Family life. The second of four stages that a Jain shravak and shravika are recommended to pass through in his or her lifetime. |
| Gunastana |
The fourteen stages of purification. |
| Gunavratas |
Retraints that reinforce the practice of anuvratas. |
| Himsa |
Injury, harming violence. |
| Hundavasarpini |
A period of avasarpini in which extraordinary events may take place. |
| Indriya |
Sense organ. |
| Jaina |
Followers of a Jina, a synonym for Nigantha. One who has samyak-darsana. |
| Jainabhasa |
False Jainas. |
| Jaina-brahman |
Laypeople in charge of priestly functions within certain Jaina communities. |
| Jambu dweep |
'The continent of the rose-apple tree.' The realm in the universe that is inhabited by humans. This region is transverse by six mountains which divide the region into seven regions. The most important regions are India in the south, Airavat in the north, and Mahavideha in the middle. It is believed that in these three regions, humans may find rewards for religious pursuits and that deliverance may be possible. |
| Janma-kalyana |
Birth. One of the five auspicious events in the career of a Tirthankara. |
| Jina |
'Conqueror.' He who has conquered love and hate, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion, and has thereby freed `his' soul from the karmas obscuring knowledge, perception, truth, and ability, is a Jina. The Jains refer to the Jina as God. |
| Jina-agama |
Jaina scripture. |
| Jina-bhavana |
Jaina temple |
| Jina-bimba |
Image of a Jina. |
| Jiv |
Soul. |
| Jiva Daya |
Compassion toward living beings. |
| Jyotish Chakra |
Area of space in which zodiac planets, stars, etc. are located |
| Kaal |
Time. Time stages within the progressive and regressive half-cycles. Runs into more than billions of years, per cycle. |
| Kalyanaka |
Auspicious moments. |
| Kanyadana |
Ceremony of giving away the bride. |
| Karemi |
'I do.' |
| Karma |
Action. A deed, good or bad. A form of matter. Upon maturing, it delivers its fruit. There are 4 Ghati and 4 Aghati types of karmas. Powers of Ghati karmas are much stronger, and they last for many lives. |
| Kashaya |
Passion. |
| Kausagga |
A motionless state of body, as if the soul has departed from it. |
| Kayotsarga |
Abandonment of the body, a standing or sitting posture of meditation. |
| Kevaldarshan |
Infinite vision and perception. After acquiring it, the cycle of births and deaths is broken forever. Any soul can attain it, by getting rid of karmas, attachments and hatreds. With it comes kevalgnan, infinite Dhariya, Tapa and Veerya. |
| Kevaldarshi |
One who has kevalgnan. |
| Kevangnan |
Infinite knowledge. Knowledge isolated from karmic obstruction. Omniscience. Knowledge involving awareness of every existent in all its qualities and modes. |
| Kevalin/gnani |
One who has kevalgnan. Synonym for arhat. |
| Khamana |
Homages, or salutations. |
| Khamasamano |
Forgiving Gurudev. |
| Krodha |
Anger. |
| Kshama |
Forgiveness. |
| Kshetra |
An area, site or location where humans exist. Each kshetra has four more similar counterparts. |
| Ksullaka |
Minor. A junior monk. A Jaina layman on the eleventh pratima. One who wears three pieces of clothing. |
| Kumara-sramana |
A life-long celibate. |
| Logassa |
(Masters) of the entire universe. |
| Loguttama |
Supreme. |
| Maharaj Saheb |
'King, sir'. A title used for sadhus, to indicate respect. |
| Mahavideha |
Name of a kshetra. Twenty Tirthankaras currently exist there, deeming it the most sacred kshetra. |
| Mahavir |
Twenth-fourth Tirthankara in this ara of the time cycle. His name means 'The most courageous one.' Mahavir was an actual historical figure who lived some time between 599-527 BCE. He was a contemporary of another great spiritual teacher--Gautama Sakyamuni--who would come to be known in history as Buddha. According to most accounts, Mahavira was also a high-born member of a warrior caste who renounced the world when he was thirty to pursue a life as an ascetic. His moment of enlightenment came after twelve years of spiritual pursuit. He then gathered twelve disciples around him, and it is through these disciples that his teachings were eventually documented and disseminated. |
| Mahavrat |
A vow that is much stricter than an Anuvrat. Only those who take diksha will take on these vows (i.e. sadhus and sadhvis). There are five mahavrats- namely ahimsa, anekantvaad, aparigraha, asteya and brahmacharya. |
| Mangal/Mangalam |
Destroyer of sins. Auspicious. |
| Mantra |
A prayer with strong psychological powers. |
| Maun |
Silence. |
| Michchhami |
'I wish.' |
| Mohaniya |
A ghati karma that obstructs the capacity of soul to think properly. |
| Moksha |
The state of freedom, for a soul, from the cycle of birth and death. |
| Muktishila |
The topmost area of the universe, the area of freedom. After death, a liberated soul rises to it, and never comes back into the cycle of birth and death. Every soul that exists there is Kevalgnani, Kevaldarshi and has infinite dhariya, tapa and veerya. |
| Muni |
One who keeps maun. He only observes, without praising or complaining. |
| Naam |
An aghati karma that determines the body |
| Namoththunam |
Expression of respect to the virtuous gurus. |
| Namaskara mantra |
Reverent salutation to the five holy beings- arihants, siddhas, acharyas, upadhayas and sadhus/sadhvis. A prayer consisting of nine lines, which is the most meaningful of all Jain prayers in that it allows the follower to pay homage to all teachers. |
| Naraki |
Hell beings. |
| Nigoda |
The lowest form of life. |
| Nirjara |
Dissociation of karma. One of the nine tattvas. |
| Nitya |
Eternal. |
| Niyati |
Fate. |
| Niyativada |
Fatalism. |
| Om |
Sacred sound formed by combining the first syllable of each word in the namaskara mantra. |
| Pachchakhan |
Formality for taking a vow. |
| Pad |
Poem |
| Panch |
Five |
| Panch kalyana |
The five auspicious events in the life of a Tirthankara. |
| Panchendriya |
Souls with five senses, namely touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. |
| Pani patra |
Hand-bowl. |
| Pannato |
Spoken, or taught. |
| Papa |
Unwholesome karmas. |
| Paramanu |
Atom. |
| Paramataman |
The highest liberated soul. |
| Parasparopagraho Jivanam |
'Souls render service to one another.' From Tattvartha Sutra 1: 4: 1. |
| Parvan |
Jaina holy days. |
| Parigrahatyaga-pratima |
The ninth stage in which a layman abandons the cares of worldly possessions. |
| Paryushan-parva |
A ten-day holy period for fasting during the rainy season (usually August or September). |
| Pavazzami |
'I seek.' |
| Phala |
Fruit. |
| Poshadh |
A day chosen by a householder to live like a muni. |
| Pratikraman |
Going back to the original virtues (of soul), which are: compassion, peace, even-temperament, forgiveness, etc. |
| Pratima |
Stages of renunciation for a layman. |
| Pudgala |
Matter |
| Puja |
Worship |
| Pumveda |
Sexual cravings for a female. |
| Pundarik |
The best lotus. |
| Punya karma |
Wholesome karma. |
| Puranas |
Name of a class of sacred texts dealing with the lives of Tirthankaras. |
| Purva |
A group of fourteen Jaina canonical texts, now extinct. |
| Pushakarvar |
Name of a dweep. Only half of it is used for living. |
| Raga |
Desire. Passion. Attachment. |
| Rajlok |
Geographical term. The universe is divided into 14 Rajloks, consisting of hells, dweeps, heavens, etc. |
| Sadhu/sahoo |
A male who has given up the family life, wealth and worldly comforts for seeking liberation. He learns scriptures religiously. |
| Sadhvi/ji |
A female who has given up the family life, wealth and worldly comforts for seeking liberation. She learns scriptures religiously. Sadhvi Shilapiji is the only Jain sadhvi to ever study outside of India. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Oxford, in England. |
| Salekhana |
Voluntary and controlled fasting to death. This is a very misunderstood and controversial concept in Jainism. It is believed that in 420 BCE, Mahavir engaged in salekhana. |
| Samayik |
State of calmness and sinlessness of mind and speech. Usually 48 minutes for householders and a lifetime for sadhus and sadhvis. |
| Samiti |
Five areas of caution: walking, speaking, taking food, handling materials and discarding excretion. |
| Samkeet |
Awakening of the soul to the right path. Once a soul has samkeet, he gets liberated within a few incarnations. |
| Samurchchhin |
A small human-like life, of bacterial size, residing inside our human bodies. It can be born spontaneously, by itself. |
| Samavasarana |
Holy assembly of the Jina. |
| Samaya |
Moment. |
| Samkalpaja-himsa |
Intentional, premeditated violence. |
| Samsara |
Cycle of transmigration for all non-liberated souls. |
| Samvar |
Stoppage of the influx of karmas. One of the nine tattvas. |
| Sangh |
Fourfold society, as founded by a Tirthankara, consisting of male and female sadhus and householders who follow the principles of Jainism. Establishing a sangh is what distinguishes a regular kevali from a tirthankar (a kevali who establishes a sangh). |
| Santharo |
Peaceful, voluntary and planned religious death. |
| Sanvibhag |
Sharing equally, with love and respect. |
| Sanyast-ashrama |
Life as a monk, a period of renunciation. This is the fourth of four stages that a Jain shravak and shravika are recommended to pass through in his or her lifetime. |
| Sharanam |
Shelter. |
| Shikshavrat |
Four vows, which prepare and train a householder for the eventual muni life. |
| Shravak/ji |
Male householder, following the principles of Jainism. |
| Shravika |
Female householder, following the principles of Jainism. |
| Shri |
A prefix used to indicate respect. |
| Siddha |
One who has achieved complete liberation from cycles of births and deaths, and now in muktishila. |
| Stavara |
Immobile beings, such as plants. |
| Sthapana |
Ritual act of asking a monk to stop for alms. |
| Sutra |
A scripture written in the ancient Ardhamaghdhi language. |
| Svetambara |
White, cotton-clad. Name of a Jaina sect whose medicants wear white garments. |
| Tapa |
Penance which contributes to the destruction of karmas. A pure soul has infinite tapa. |
| Tassa |
For (my blemished soul). |
| Tattva |
The nine 'reals', regarded as objects of faith for a Jaina. |
| Teindriya |
Lives with three senses, namely touch, taste and smell. |
| Tikhkhooto |
Three times. |
| Tirthankara |
'Builders of the ford.' One who reestablishes the religion and fourfold society system of Sadhus, Sadhvis, Shravaks and Shravikas. |
| Upadhyay/ji |
A sadhu who learned, mastered and now teaches religious scriptures. |
| Uttari |
Upliftment or elevation. |
| Vandana |
Act of bowing, or offering salutations. |
| Vanaprasth-ashrama |
Family and service to society. This is the third of four stages that a Jain shravak and shravika are recommended to pass through in his or her lifetime. |
| Vanasi |
Forest dweller. |
| Vandana |
Reverent salutation. |
| Varna |
Caste, hierarchy, class. Color. A quality of matter. |
| Varnalabha |
Ritual celebrating the establishment of a new household by a married son. |
| Veda |
Sexual feelings. |
| Vedniya |
An aghati karma that determines the mundane experience of pain and pleasure. |
| Veerya |
Strength. A pure soul has infinite strength. |
| Vira-nirvana |
Beginning of the Jaina era. Death anniversary of Mahavir. |
| Vitraag |
One from whom attachment is gone for materials. |
| Vrat |
Vow. |
| Yathapravrtta-karana |
The soul's ineradicable tendency towards spiritual growth. |
| Yati |
A spiritually advanced layman of the Svetambara sect. |
| Yatra |
Pilgrimage. |
| Yoga |
Vibration, Activities, or Meditation. |
| Yojana |
A measure of distance equal to about eight or nine miles. |