Arihantas

''Arihant'' (, ) is a jiva (soul) who has conquered inner passions such as attachment, anger, pride and greed. Having destroyed four inimical karmas, they realize pure self. ''Arihants'' are also called ''kevalins'' (omniscient beings) as they possess '' kevala jnana'' (pure infinite knowledge). An ''arihant'' is also called a ''jina'' ("victor"). At the end of their life, ''arihants'' destroy remaining ''karmas'' and attain ''moksha'' (liberation) and become '' siddhas''. ''Arihantas'' have a body while ''siddhas'' are bodiless pure spirit. The Ṇamōkāra mantra, the fundamental prayer dedicated to ''Pañca-Parameṣṭhi'' (five supreme beings), begins with ''Ṇamō arihantāṇaṁ'', "obeisance to the arihants".

''Kevalins'' - omniscient beings - are said to be of two kinds
# ''Tirthankara kevalī'': 24 human spiritual guides who after attaining omniscience teach the path to salvation.
# ''Sāmānya kevalī'': ''Kevalins'' who are concerned with their own liberation.

According to Jains, every soul has the potential to become an ''arihant''. A soul which destroys all ''kashayas'' or inner enemies like anger, ego, deception, and greed, responsible for the perpetuation of ignorance, becomes an ''arihant''.

Philosophy

According to Jain texts, omniscience is attained on the destruction of four types of ''karmas''– deluding, the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring and the obstructive ''karmas'', in the order mentioned. The ''arihants'' are said to be free from the following eighteen imperfections:

# ''janma'' – (re)birth
# ''jarā'' – old-age
# ''triśā'' – thirst
# ''kśudhā'' – hunger
# ''vismaya'' – astonishment
# ''arati'' – displeasure
# ''kheda'' – regret
# ''roga'' – sickness
# ''śoka'' – grief
# ''mada'' – pride
# ''moha'' – delusion
# ''bhaya'' – fear
# ''nidrā'' – sleep
# ''cintā'' – anxiety
# ''sveda'' – perspiration
# ''rāga'' – attachment
# ''dveśa'' – aversion
# ''maraņa'' – death

Omniscience

In Jainism, omniscience is said to be the infinite, all-embracing knowledge that reflects, as it were in a mirror, all substances and their infinite modes, extending through the past, the present and the future. According to Jain texts, omniscience is the natural attribute of the pure souls. The self-attaining omniscience becomes a ''kevalin''. Pandit Banarasidas in ''Samaysaar Natak'' describes the Omniscient soul as:

''Meaning'': The omniscient Lord has perfect complete knowledge. He does have physical form but has separated self from the material body. From His heart-type of lake, a river has come out in the form of spiritual preachings and has merged into the ocean of holy scriptures. Therefore, such doctrines are called ultimate truth, encompassing infinite partial points of views. The aspirant souls end up recognising such principles. The foolish wrong faithed persons fail to identify such truth. May such Omniscient knowledge of Arihants be victorious in the universe!

The four infinitudes (''ananta cātuṣṭaya'') are:
# ''ananta jñāna'', infinite knowledge
# ''ananta darśana'', perfect perception due to the destruction of all darśanāvaraṇīya karmas
# ''ananta sukha'', infinite bliss
# ''ananta vīrya'' – infinite energy

Tirthankaras

Those ''arihants'' who re-establish the Jain faith are called ''tirthankaras''. ''Tirthankaras'' revitalize the ''sangha'', the fourfold order consisting of male saints ('' sādhus''), female saints (''sādhvis''), male householders (''śrāvaka'') and female householders (''srāvika'').

The first ''tirthankara'' of the current time cycle was Ṛṣabhanātha, and the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara was Mahavira, who lived from 599 BCE to 527 BCE.

Jain texts mention forty-six attributes of ''arihants'' or ''tirthankaras''. These attributes comprise four infinitudes (''ananta chatushtaya''), thirty-four miraculous happenings (''atiśaya''), and eight splendours (''prātihārya'').

The eight splendours (''prātihārya'') are:
# ''aśokavrikśa'' – the Ashoka tree
# ''siṃhāsana''– bejeweled throne
# ''chatra'' – three-tier canopy
# ''bhāmadal'' – halo of unmatched luminance
# ''divya dhvani'' – divine voice of the Lord without lip movement
# ''puśpavarśā'' – shower of fragrant flowers
# ''camara'' – waving of sixty-four majestic hand-fans
# ''dundubhi'' – dulcet sound of kettle-drums and other musical instruments

Liberation

At the time of ''nirvana'' (final release), the ''arihant'' sheds off the remaining four ''aghati karmas'':
# ''Nama'' (physical structure forming) karma
# ''Gotra'' (status forming) karma
# ''Vedniya'' (pain and pleasure causing) karma
# ''Ayushya'' (life span determining) karma

These four karmas do not affect the true nature of the soul and are therefore called ''aghati karmas''.

Worship

In the Ṇamōkāra mantra, ''Namo Arihantanam, Namo Siddhanam'', Jains worship the arihants first and then to the ''siddhas'', even though the latter are perfected souls who have destroyed all karmas but arihants are considered to be at a higher spiritual stage than ''siddhas''. Since ''siddhas'' have attained ultimate liberation, they probably are not directly accessible but may be through the wisdom they passed on. However arihants are accessible for spiritual guidance of human society until their nirvana. The ''Dravyasaṃgraha'', a major Jain text, states:

See also

*God in Jainism
*Jainism and non-creationism
*Śramaṇa

Notes

References

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External links

{{Authority control

Jain philosophical concepts
Jain saints