Jai Jinendra! ( sa, जय जिनेन्द्र ) (started in 7th CE) is a common greeting used by the
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
s. The phrase means "Honor to the Supreme ''Jinas'' (
Tirthankara
In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...
s)"
The reverential greeting is a combination of two
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
words: ''Jai'' and ''Jinendra''
:The word, ''Jai'' is used to praise somebody. In Jai Jinendra, it is used to praise the qualities of the ''Jinas'' (conquerors).
:The word ''Jinendra'' is a compound-word derived from the word ''Jina'', referring to a human being who has conquered all inner passions and possess
Kevala Gyan (pure infinite knowledge), and the word "Indra," which means chief or lord.
Meguti Aihole Jain Inscription
A slab on the outer east side wall of the
Jain Meguti temple is inscribed in Sanskrit language and Old Kannada script. It is dated to 634 CE, and is a poem by Jain poet Ravikirti. He was in the court of king
Pulakeshin II
Pulakeshin II (IAST: Pulakeśin, r. c. 610–642 CE) was the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his reign, the Chalukya kingdom expanded to cover most of the Deccan region in p ...
. This inscription opens with the equivalent of "Jai Jinendra" salutation in Sanskrit. The inscription is a panegyric by the Jain poet wildly praising his patron Pulakesin II.
The first verse reads:-
"''Victorious is the holy Jinendra ─ he who is exempt from old age, death and birth ─ in the sea of whose knowledge the whole world is comprised like an island. And next, long victorious is the immeasurable, wide ocean of the Chalukya family, which is the birth-place of jewels of men that are ornaments of the diadem of the earth.''"
This 7th-century greeting remains a tradition among contemporary era Jains as "Jai Jinendra".
[Kielhorn (1901), pp. 1–11, footnote 15 on p. 7]
See also
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God in Jainism
In Jainism, godliness is said to be the inherent quality of every soul. This quality, however, is subdued by the soul's association with karmic matter. All souls who have achieved the natural state of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge ('' keva ...
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Mahavira
Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...
Notes
References
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{{Jainism topics
Greeting words and phrases of India
Jain practices