Punjab State Board PSEB 12th Class Religion Book Solutions Chapter 8 Ethical Teachings of Jainism Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.
PSEB Solutions for Class 12 Religion Chapter 8 Ethical Teachings of Jainism
Long Answer Type Questions:
Question 1.
What do you know about the origin of Jainism? Explain.
Answer:
Jainism is one of the most ancient religions of India. Its path of asceticism and traditions of yoga can be traced down to the Harappan period. Even the Vedic literature describes the Jaina Acharyas. From this, we know that Jainism was popular at that time. According to Jain traditions, Rishabhnatha who was the first Tirthankara was the first person who led to the beginning of human civilization. Hence, Jainism was prevalent at the time when civilization began.
The word Jain was derived from the Sanskrit word Jin which means victorious. The victorious means a person who has control over his senses and heart. Jainism has been called Nirgrantha from the beginning. Nirgrantha means freedom from bondage or free. Jain Acharyas are also called Tirthankar. Tirthankara means one who acts like a bridge or a guru who helps to cross the ocean of life. Jain philosophy is also called Arhat philosophy. Arhat means respectable. Those who followed Jainism were called Jains. The Jains believed in 24 Tirthankaras. Their names are as follows :
- Rishabhanatha
- Ajita
- Sambhava
- Abhinandana
- Sumati
- Padmaprabha
- Suparshva
- Chandraprabha
- Pushpadanta
- Shitala
- Sheyansha
- Vasupujya
- Vimala
- Ananta
- Dharma
- Shanti
- Kunthu
- Araha
- Malli
- Munisuvrata
- Nami
- Nemi
- Parshavanatha
- Mahavira
The Jains consider Rishabhanatha or Rishabadeva as the founder of Jainism. According to the Jaina traditions, he was born in Ayodhya. He ruled for several years. Later he gave the responsibility of the state to his son Bharat and left the materialistic world to lead the life of an ascetic. At last, he attained enlightenment. He preached the knowledge to other people. Therefore, he was called the first Tirthankara. It is not possible to give the history of the 21 Tirthankaras after him, but there is a description of them in the Jain traditions. In Jainism, the 23rd Tirthankara Parshavanatha and the 24th Tirthankara Mahavira are historically important people.
Lord Parshavanatha was born 250 years before Lord Mahavira at the house of King Ashvasena in Banaras. The name of his mother was Vamadevi. He had a luxurious childhood. At the age of 30 years, Parshavanatha gave up all the pleasures of life and went out in search of true knowledge. He attained enlightenment after 83 days of meditation. He spent the rest of the 70 years of life in preaching. Around 777 B.C., he “attained Nirvana at a mountain called Mount Sammeta.
The teachings of Parshavanatha are called Chaturyama or the four pledges. These four pledges are
- Do not harm the living beings (ahimsa).
- Do not tell lies (sunrita).
- Do not take without giving (asteya).
- Do not desire any materialistic things, (aparigraha)
Lord Mahavira added one more principle to these four principles which is called Brahmacharya. This is why Lord Mahavira is not regarded as the founder of Jainism, but is considered as a reformer or rejuvenator of £he faith which was already in existence and had a long tradition.
Question 2.
- Give the total number of Tirthankaras in Jainism.
- Throw light on the life of Lord Mahavira.
Or
Give the name of Mahavira’s mother. How many dreams did Lord Mahavira’s mother had before giving birth to Mahavira? Write a note on the life of Lord Mahavira.
Or
Give the number of Tirthankaras in Jainism. Write a note on the life of the 24th Tirthankara.
Or
What was Lord Mahavira’s number among Jain Tirthankaras? Write about Mahavira’s life.
Answer:
1. Birth and Childhood of Mahavira: Mahavira was born in 599 B.C. at Kundagrama near Vaisali (Bihar). A few historians believe his birth date to be 540 B.C. Mahavira’s childhood name was Vardhamana. Mahavira’s father’s name was Siddhartha. He was the chief 6f the Kshatriya tribe Jantrinka. Mahavira’s mother’s name was Trishala. She was the Sister of the Chetak, the ruler of Lichchavi dynasty. Before his birth, Mahavira’s mother had 14 dreams. Special arrangements were made for the education of Mahavira. Right from childhood, Mahavira had no interest in materialistic things. He was always lost in his own thoughts.
2. Marriage: To attract Mahavira’s attention towards materialism, his father got Mahavira married to a beautiful princess Yashoda. There is no definite information regarding Mahavira’s age at the time of his marriage. After some time, a daughter was born at Mahavira’s house. She was named Priyadarshana.
3. Renunciation and Enlightenment: Married life could not in any way hinder Mahavira’s religious interests. After his parents died, Mahavira took permission from his elder brother Nandivarman and left his household to go to the jungle in search of enlightenment. He was’30 years old at that time. He vigorously meditated in thfe jungle for 12 years. At last, he attained Kavala Jnana (enlightenment) at Jrimbhikagrama on the bank of the river Rijupalika. It was only after the attainment of enlightenment the Vardhaman began to be called Jin (one who has been able to conquer victory) and Mahavira (great conqueror). Mahavira was 42 at the time of enlightenment.
4. Preachings: After the attainment of enlightenment, Mahavira started preaching in order to eradicate the prevalent superstitions and to propagate his preachings about the True Path. Several people were impressed by his preachings and several people became his disciples. The famous preaching centres of Mahavira were Rajgriha, Vaishali, Kosala, Mithila, Videha and Anga. According to Jain traditions, the ruler of Magadha i.e. Bimbisara and his son Ajatasatru also ambraced Jainism.
5. Nirvana: Lord Mahavira preached for nearly 30 years. It was at Pava (Patna) that Mahavira attained salvation in the year 527 B.C. at the age of 72. At that time, Mahavira had 14,000 disciples.
Question 3.
Discuss the origin and development of Jainism.
Or
Describe Jainism.
Answer:
Jainism is one of the most ancient religions of India. Its path of ascetism and traditions of yoga can be traced down the Harappan period. Even the Vedic literature describes the Jaina Acharyas. From this, we know that Jainism was popular at that time. According to Jain traditions, Rishabhnatha who was the first Tirthankara was the first person who led to the beginning of human civilization. Hence, Jainism was prevalent at the time when the civilization began.
The word Jain was derived from the Sanskrit word Jin which means victorious. The victorious means a person who has control over his senses and heart. Jainism has been called Nirgrantha from the beginning. Nirgrantha means freedom from bondage or free. Jain Acharyas are also called Tirthankar. Tirthankara means one who acts like a bridge or a guru who helps to cross the ocean of life. Jain philosophy is also called Arhat philosophy. Arhat means respectable. Those who followed Jainism were called Jains.
The Jains consider Rishabhanatha or Rishabadeva as the founder of Jainism. According to the Jaina traditions, he was born in Ayodhaya. He ruled for several years. Later he gave the responsibility of the state to his son Bharat and left the materialistic world to lead the life of an ascetic. At last he attained enlightenment. He preached the knowledge to the other people. Therefore, he was called the first Tirthankara. It is not possible to give the history of the 21 Tirthankaras after him, but there is a description about them in the Jain traditions. In Jainism, the 23rd Tirthankara Parshavanatha and the 24th Tirthankara Mahavira are historically important people.
Lord Parshavanatha was born 250 years before Lord Mahavira at the house of King Ashvasena in Banaras. The name of his mother was Vamadevi. He had a luxurious childhood. At the age of 30 years, Parshavanatha gave up all the pleasures of life and went out in search of true knowledge. He attained enlightenment after 83 days of pieditation. He spent the rest of his 70 years of life in preaching. Around 777 B.C., he “attained Nirvana at a mountain called Mount Sammeta.
The teachings of Parshavanatha are called Chaturyama or the four pledges. These four pledges are
- Do not harm the living beings (ahimsa).
- Do not tell lies (sunrita).
- Do not take without giving (asteya).
- Do not desire any materialistic things, (aparigraha)
Lord Mahavira added one more principle to these four principles which is called Brahmacharya. This is why Lord Mahavira is not regarded as the founder of Jainism, but is considered as a reformer or rejuvenator of £he faith which was already in existence and had a long tradition.
1. Birth and Childhood of Mahavira : Mahavira was born in 599 B.C. at Kundagrama near Vaisali (Bihar). A few historians believe his birth date to be 540 B.C. Mahavira’s childhood name was Vardhamana. Mahavira’s father’s name was Siddhartha. He was the chief 6f a Kshatriya tribe Jantrinka. Mahavira’s mother’s name was Trishala. She was the Sister of the Chetak, the ruler of Lichchavi dynasty. Before his birth, Mahavira’s mother had 14 dreams. Special arrangements were made for the education of Mahavira. Right from childhood, Mahavira had no interest in materialistic things. He was always lost in his own thoughts.
2. Marriage : To attract Mahavira’s attention towards materialism, his father got Mahavira married to a beautiful princess Yashoda. There is no definite information regarding Mahavira’s age at the time of his marriage. After some time, a daughter was born at Mahavira’s house. She was named Priyadarshana.
3. Renunciation and Enlightenment: Married life could not in any way hinder Mahavira’s religious interests. After his parents died, Mahavira took permission from his elder brother Nandivarman and left his household to go to the jungle in search of enlightenment. He was 30 years old at that time. He vigorously meditated in the jungle for 12 years. At last, he attained Kavala Jnana (enlightenment) at Jrimbhikagrama on the bank of the river Rijupalika.
It was only after the attainment of enlightenment the Vardhaman began to be called Jin (one who has been able to conquer victory) and Mahavira (great conqueror). Mahavira was 42 at the time of enlightenment.
4. Preachings: After the attainment of enlightenment, Mahavira started preaching in order to eradicate the prevalent superstitions and to propagate his preachings about the True Path. Several people were impressed by his preachings and several people became his disciples. The famous preaching centres of Mahavira were Rajgriha, Vaishali, Kosala, Mithila, Videha and Anga. According to Jain traditions, the ruler of Magadha i.e. Bimbisara and his son Ajatasatru also ambraced Jainism.
5. Nirvana : Lord Mahavira preached for nearly 30 years. It was at Pava (Patna) that Mahavira attained salvation in the year 527 B.C. at the age of 72. At that time, Mahavira had 14,000 disciples.
Question 4.
“Ethical teachings are the foundation of Jainism.”
Or
Discuss the Ethical teachings of Jainism.
Or
Describe in brief but meaningful the basic teachings of Jainism.
Or
Describe the basic teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Or
“Moral Values are the basis of Jainism.” Elucidate.
Or
Describe the Ethical teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Or
Describe the Ethical values of Jainism.
Or
Discuss about the Ethical teachings of Jainism.
Or
Write a detailed note on Jain Ethics.
Or
Discuss the Ethical values of Jainism.
Or
Discuss the main teachings of Jainism.
Or
Discuss the Ethical teachings of Jainism.
Or
Give information about moral teachings of Jainism.
Or
Write the teachings of Jainism.
Answer:
The main ethical teachings of Jainism or Mahavira have significantly contributed to our Indian culture that we are proud of it even today. Jainism taught people the lesson of Tri-Ratna, Ahimsa, good behaviour and mutual brotherhood. It vehemently opposed the superstitions prevalent in society. It had no faith in yajnas, sacrifices, Vedas and sanctity of Sanskrit as a language. It inspired people to lead a simple and pious life. Undoubtedly, Jainism, with its ethical teachings performed the great task of rendering a new direction to the Indian society.
1. Tri-Ratna : Acocrding to Jainism, the prime objective of human life is the attainment of salvation or Nirvana. For its attainment, a person must tread on the path of the Tri-Ratnas known as the three gems. These are : Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. According to the first ratna, each person must have firm faith in the 24 Tirthankaras, Nine Truths and the Jain shastras. According to the second ratna, the Jains should acquire true and complete knowledge.
This is acquired by an indepth study of the preachings of the Tirthankaras. There are two forms of this knowledge which are called the direct knowledge and the indirect knowledge. The knowledge obtained through the Self is direct knowledge whereas knowledge obtained through one’s senses is called the indirect knowledge.
There are five types of knowledge whose names are as follows : Mati Jnana, Shruti Jnana, Swadhi Jnana, Manparyadi Jnana and Kevala Jnana. According to the third ratna, every man should spend his life with the right conduct. Right conduct is that of which Jainism gives us a teaching. All the three ratnas move together. In the absence of even one of these, man cannot achieve his goal. As an example, just as it is very important to put oil, wick and fire to light a lamp because in the absence of even any one of these, there would be no illumination.
2. Ahimsa : Jainism emphasises a lot on Ahimsa. Aacharanga Sutra emphasises on the importance of Ahimsa by saying, “One’s life is dear to everyone, all want happiness, no one desires sorrow, no one wants in excess, life is dear to everybody and all have a desire to live.” Hence, whatever is pleasurable for us is pleasurable for others as well. Violence is of two types : violence through the heart and violence through Karma. Before violence comes in action or through Karma, violence first comes in one’s heart i.e. in one’s thoughts. Anger, pride, greed and fraud are forms of violence of the heart. Hence, it is extremely important to purify the thoughts of the heart in order to avoid violence. According to Jainism, besides human beings, the Soul also resides in animals, stones and trees etc.
Hence we should not give any trouble to the living or non-living beings. For this reason, the Jains walk barefoot, wear a cloth over the mouth, drink water after sieving and eat nothing after dark to avoid killing of any small creature. According to Harbans Singh and L.M. Joshi, “The doctrine of non-violence (ahimsa) is a cardinal principle of Jain religion.”
3. Nine Truths : Jain philosophy teaches that there are Nine Truths. These truths are :
- Jiva—In Jain philosophy, the Jiva means atman or soul. It is eternal and absolute. It enjoys or suffers the fruits of its deeds. It transmigrates.
- Ajiva—It is the non-living element. It does not have the power to think. It has two types. One that has form (Rupi) and one that is formless (Arupi)
- Punya—It is a consequence of good actions. There are nine ways to merit.
- Papa—It is the main cause of the bondage of Jiva. Papa results in terrible punishment. It leads to 82 different censequences.
- Asarva—It is the process of accumulation of deeds or Karmic matter by the soul. The Karmas are of 8 types.
- Samvara—The process that prevents the Karma to come near the Self is called Samvara. There are 57 ways to inhibit the Karma.
- Bandha—It means bondage. It is the union of Jiva with Pudgala. There are 5 reasons responsible for bondage.
- Nirjara—It means to eradicate. It helps to destroy Karma.
- Moksha—In this, the creature is freed from the vicious circle of Karma. It is a state of complete peace wherein he attains freedom from all kinds of sorrows.
4. Karma Theory : In Jainism, the Karma theory has a significant place. According to this theory, ‘”You shall reap what you shall sow. If one indulges in good deeds, one shall obtain good fruit, if one performs bad deeds then the consequence shall be negative, under no circumstances would they be able to acquire freedom from Karma.” As soon as one has a good or a bad thought, it immediately attaches itself to the Jiva (Self) just as the dust particles stick themselves to the oily body. These Karmas are of eight types :
- Gyanvarniya Karmas—They inhibit the knowledge of Self.
- Darshanvamiya Karmas—They inhibit the desire of the Self.
- Vaidniya Karmas—These actions lead to happiness and sorrow.
- Mohniya Karmas—These are Karmas that entrap the Self in the vicious circle of attachment.
- Ayu Karmas— These Karmas determine the age of a person.
- Naam Karmas—These Karmas determine the personality of a person.
- Gotra Karmas—These determine the- gotra and hence his higher and lower status in society.
- Antriya Karmas—These are Karmas that inhibit good Karmas.
Because of one’s Karmas, man is trapped in the vicious circle of transmigration. Man can obtain freedom by destroying one’s Karmas.
5. The Doctrine of Manyness : The Doctrine of Manyness is a unique philosophical theory of Jain philosophy. The word manyness indicates many elements of severs! religions or virtues. It means that whatever form of knowledge we have about a thing may be quite different from the form of knowledge another person has about that thing. As an example, a child is considered to be a son by a mother, a brother by a sister, paternal grandson by a paternal grandmother, maternal grandson by maternal grandmother and a friend by other children.
It means that every element has many virtues or there is manyness attached to every element. For this reason, our knowledge about each element is only partial. It is called Syadvaad. It is another form of manyness.
6. Five Mahavartas or Annuvartas : According to Jainism, a man should follow the Five Mahavartas in his life. According to these
- Man should always follow the policy of Ahimsa (non-violence),
- He should always speak the truth.
- He should not keep any thing with him which he has not obtained in charity,
- He should not keep wealth with him.
- He should follow Brahmacharya.
Of these, the first four principles were popularised by Parshavanatha whereas the fifth principle was incorporated by Mahavira. According to Dr. K.C. Sogani, “The observance of these five vows is capable of bringing about individual as well as social progress.”2
7. Good Character : Lord Mahavira gave special importance to good character. He said that we should stay away from vices; like stealing, telling lies, backbiting, greed etc. He said that we should lead a simple and pious life. Man should detest evil and not the evil doer.
8. Worship of Twenty Four Tirthankaras : Those who believed in Jainism worshipped the 24 Tirthankaras. They strongly believed in the Tirthankaras to attain salvation.
9. Belief in Equality : Jainism believed in the principle of equality. According to it, all men are equal. Hence one should not discriminate on the basis of rich-poor, high-low etc.
10. Disbelief in Yajnas and Sacrifices : Jainism shows disbelief in yajnas, sacrifices and other customs and traditions in vain. According to them, no human being can attain salvation with the exhibition of religious practices. Hence Jainism asked people to keep away from all superstitions.
11. Disbelief in Vedas and Sanskrit Language : Lord Mahavira did not have any faith in the holy texts, the Vedas. He was of the view that the Vedas were not composed as a result of divine knowledge. Hence it is useless to read the Vedic mantras. He did not believe in the sanctity of Sanskrit language. He considered all the languages as sacred. He propagated his preachings in the prevalent Ardhamagadhi language.
12. Disbelief in God : Jainism does not believe in the existence of God. According to this, God is not responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of the world. There is no need to have a God to attain salvation. Man’s Self is his greatest power. Man can attain salvation by leading a simple and pious life.
13. Nirvana : According to Mahavira, the main aim of human life is the attainment of Nirvana. In Jainism, Nirvana implies the attainment of freedom from the cycle of transmigration. After the attainment of Nirvana, man is freed from the cycle of transmigration and he attains eternal peace.
Question 5.
Describe the life and important teachings of Bhagwan Mahavira.
Answer:
1. Birth and Childhood of Mahavira : Mahavira was born in 599 B.C. at Kundagrama near Vaisali (Bihar). A few historians believe his birth date to be 540 B.C. Mahavira’s childhood name was Vardhamana. Mahavira’s father’s name was Siddhartha. He was the chief 6f a Kshatriya tribe Jantrinka. Mahavira’s mother’s name was Trishala. She was the Sister of the Chetak, the ruler of Lichchavi dynasty. Before his birth, Mahavira’s mother had 14 dreams. Special arrangements were made for the education of Mahavira. Right from childhood, Mahavira had no interest in materialistic things. He was always lost in his own thoughts.
2. Marriage : To attract Mahavira’s attention towards materialism, his father got Mahavira married to a beautiful princess Yashoda. There is no definite information regarding Mahavira’s age at the time of his marriage. After some time, a daughter was born at Mahavira’s house. She was named Priyadarshana.
3. Renunciation and Enlightenment: Married life could not in any way hinder Mahavira’s religious interests. After his parents died, Mahavira took permission from his elder brother Nandivarman and left his household to go to the jungle in search of enlightenment. He was’30 years old at that time. He vigorously meditated in thfe jungle for 12 years. At last, he attained Kavala Jnana (enlightenment) at Jrimbhikagrama on the bank of the river Rijupalika. It was only after the attainment of enlightenment the Vardhaman began to be called Jin (one who has been able to conquer victory) and Mahavira (great conqueror). Mahavira was 42 at the time of enlightenment.
4. Preachings: After the attainment of enlightenment, Mahavira started preaching in order to eradicate the prevalent superstitions and to propagate his preachings about the True Path. Several people were impressed by his preachings and several people became his disciples. The famous preaching centres of Mahavira were Rajgriha, Vaishali, Kosala, Mithila, Videha and Anga. According to Jain traditions, the ruler of Magadha i.e. Bimbisara and his son Ajatasatru also ambraced Jainism.
5. Nirvana : Lord Mahavira preached for nearly 30 years. It was at Pava (Patna) that Mahavira attained salvation in the year 527 B.C. at the age of 72. At that time, Mahavira had 14,000 disciples.
The main ethical teachings of Jainism or Mahavira have significantly contributed to our Indian culture that we are proud of it even today. Jainism taught people the lesson of Tri-Ratna, Ahimsa, good behaviour and mutual brotherhood. It vehemently opposed the superstitions prevalent in society. It had no faith in yajnas, sacrifices, Vedas and sanctity of Sanskrit as a language. It inspired people to lead a simple and pious life. Undoubtedly, Jainism, with its ethical teachings performed the great task of rendering a new direction to the Indian society.
1. Tri-Ratna : Acocrding to Jainism, the prime objective of human life is the attainment of salvation or Nirvana. For its attainment, a person must tread on the path of the Tri-Ratnas known as the three gems. These are : Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. According to the first ratna, each person must have firm faith in the 24 Tirthankaras, Nine Truths and the Jain shastras. According to the second ratna, the Jains should acquire true and complete knowledge.
This is acquired by an indepth study of the preachings of the Tirthankaras. There are two forms of this knowledge which are called the direct knowledge and the indirect knowledge. The knowledge obtained through the Self is direct knowledge whereas knowledge obtained through one’s senses is called the indirect knowledge.
There are five types of knowledge whose names are as follows : Mati Jnana, Shruti Jnana, Swadhi Jnana, Manparyadi Jnana and Kevala Jnana. According to the third ratna, every man should spend his life with the right conduct. Right conduct is that of which Jainism gives us a teaching. All the three ratnas move together. In the absence of even one of these, man cannot achieve his goal. As an example, just as it is very important to put oil, wick and fire to light a lamp because in the absence of even any one of these, there would be no illumination.
2. Ahimsa : Jainism emphasises a lot on Ahimsa. Aacharanga Sutra emphasises on the importance of Ahimsa by saying, “One’s life is dear to everyone, all want happiness, no one desires sorrow, no one wants in excess, life is dear to everybody and all have a desire to live.” Hence, whatever is pleasurable for us is pleasurable for others as well. Violence is of two types : violence through the heart and violence through Karma.
Before violence comes in action or through Karma, violence first comes in one’s heart i.e. in one’s thoughts. Anger, pride, greed and fraud are forms of violence of the heart. Hence, it is extremely important to purify the thoughts of the heart in order to avoid violence. According to Jainism, besides human beings, the Soul also resides in animals, stones and trees etc.
Hence we should not give any trouble to the living or non-living beings. For this reason, the Jains walk barefoot, wear a cloth over the mouth, drink water after sieving and eat nothing after dark to avoid killing of any small creature. According to Harbans Singh and L.M. Joshi, “The doctrine of non-violence (ahimsa) is a cardinal principle of Jain religion.”
3. Nine Truths : Jain philosophy teaches that there are Nine Truths. These truths are :
- Jiva—In Jain philosophy, the Jiva means atman or soul. It is eternal and absolute. It enjoys or suffers the fruits of its deeds. It transmigrates.
- Ajiva—It is the non-living element. It does not have the power to think. It has two types. One that has form (Rupi) and one that is formless (Arupi)
- Punya—It is a consequence of good actions. There are nine ways to merit.
- Papa—It is the main cause of the bondage of Jiva. Papa results in terrible punishment. It leads to 82 different censequences.
- Asarva—It is the process of accumulation of deeds or Karmic matter by the soul. The Karmas are of 8 types.
- Samvara—The process that prevents the Karma to come near the Self is called Samvara. There are 57 ways to inhibit the Karma.
- Bandha—It means bondage. It is the union of Jiva with Pudgala. There are 5 reasons responsible for bondage.
- Nirjara—It means to eradicate. It helps to destroy Karma.
- Moksha—In this, the creature is freed from the vicious circle of Karma. It is a state of complete peace wherein he attains freedom from all kinds of sorrows.
4. Karma Theory : In Jainism, the Karma theory has a significant place. According to this theory, ‘”You shall reap what you shall sow. If one indulges in good deeds, one shall obtain good fruit, if one performs bad deeds then the consequence shall be negative, under no circumstances would they be able to acquire freedom from Karma.” As soon as one has a good or a bad thought, it immediately attaches itself to the Jiva (Self) just as the dust particles stick themselves to the oily body. These Karmas are of eight types :
- Gyanvarniya Karmas—They inhibit the knowledge of SelT-
- Darshanvamiya Karmas—They inhibit the desire of the Self.
- Vaidniya Karmas—These actions lead to happiness and sorrow.
- Mohniya Karmas—These are Karmas that entrap the Self in the vicious circle of attachment.
- Ayu Karmas— These Karmas determine the age of a person.
- Naam Karmas—These Karmas determine the personality of a person.
- Gotra Karmas—These determine the- gotra and hence his higher and lower status in society.
- Antriya Karmas—These are Karmas that inhibit good Karmas.
Because of one’s Karmas, man is trapped in the vicious circle of transmigration. Man can obtain freedom by destroying one’s Karmas.
5. The Doctrine of Manyness : The Doctrine of Manyness is a unique philosophical theory of Jain philosophy. The word manyness indicates many elements of severs! religions or virtues. It means that whatever form of knowledge we have about a thing may be quite different from the form of knowledge another person has about that thing. As an example, a child is considered to be a son by a mother, a brother by a sister, paternal grandson by a paternal grandmother, maternal grandson by maternal grandmother and a friend by other children. It means that every element has many virtues or there is manyness attached to every element. For this reason, our knowledge about each element is only partial. It is called Syadvaad. It is another form of manyness.
6. Five Mahavartas or Annuvartas : According to Jainism, a man should follow the Five Mahavartas in his life. According to these
- Man should always follow the policy of Ahimsa (non-violence),
- He should always speak the truth.
- He should not keep any thing with him which he has not obtained in charity,
- He should not keep wealth with him.
- He should follow Brahmacharya.
Of these, the first four principles were popularised by Parshavanatha whereas the fifth principle was incorporated by Mahavira. According to Dr. K.C. Sogani, “The observance of these five vows is capable of bringing about individual as well as social progress.”
7. Good Character : Lord Mahavira gave special importance to good character. He said that we should stay away from vices; like stealing, telling lies, backbiting, greed etc. He said that we should lead a simple and pious life. Man should detest evil and not the evil doer.
8. Worship of Twenty Four Tirthankaras : Those who believed in Jainism worshipped the 24 Tirthankaras. They strongly believed in the Tirthankaras to attain salvation.
9. Belief in Equality : Jainism believed in the principle of equality. According to it, all men are equal. Hence one should not discriminate on the basis of rich-poor, high-low etc.
10. Disbelief in Yajnas and Sacrifices : Jainism shows disbelief in yajnas, sacrifices and other customs and traditions in vain. According to them, no human being can attain salvation with the exhibition of religious practices. Hence Jainism asked people to keep away from all superstitions.
11. Disbelief in Vedas and Sanskrit Language : Lord Mahavira did not have any faith in the holy texts, the Vedas. He was of the view that the Vedas were not composed as a result of divine knowledge. Hence it is useless to read the Vedic mantras. He did not believe in the sanctity of Sanskrit language. He considered all the languages as sacred. He propagated his preachings in the prevalent Ardhamagadhi language.
12. Disbelief in God : Jainism does not believe in the existence of God. According to this, God is not responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of the world. There is no need to have a God to attain salvation. Man’s Self is his greatest power. Man can attain salvation by leading a simple and pious life.
13. Nirvana : According to Mahavira, the main aim of human life is the attainment of Nirvana. In Jainism, Nirvana implies the attainment of freedom from the cycle of transmigration. After the attainment of Nirvana, man is freed from the cycle of transmigration and he attains eternal peace.
Question 6.
What is meant by three Jewels in Jainism? Discuss.
Or
Explain Tri-Ratna and tell to which religion do they belong?
Or
Explain the three Jewels of Jainism.
Or
Discuss the Tri-Ratnas of Jainism.
Answer:
It is clear from the principles of Jain philosophy that first the creature (self) is in its pure form. Later, because of karmic elements, it loses its sanctity. As a consequence, man has to face grave problems. If these karmic elements are destroyed, then man can successfully cross the sea of transmigration and attain salvation. Jain philosophy considers the attainment of salvation as the highest objective of human life. A person of any caste, sex, religion, class or age can tread on this path. To tread on this path the Tri-Ratnas have been prescribed in Jainism.
These Tri-Ratnas are
- Right Belief
- Right Knowledge
- Right Conduct.
These Tri-Ratnas are not three different paths for the attainment of salvation but three ways are complementary to the same path. If a single path from amongst them is missing, then man would not be able to achieve his objective. As an example, if a man needs to go to the terrace, he would have to use a ladder but if the ladder is placed against the wall and even one of the supports is missing in between them, that man will never be able to reach the top. A brief description of the Tri-Ratnas is as follows :
1. Right Belief: Among the Tri-Ratnas, the Ratna of Right Belief has been given the first and foremost position. Because if man does not have the Right Belief then he cannot acquire true knowledge and true conduct. . Right Belief means that a person who wants to attain salvation must have complete faith in the 24 Jain Tirthankaras, Nine Great Truths and the Jain Shastras. According to the Jain Shastras, Right Belief can be accomplished only when the concerned person a,dorns its 8 parts.
These 8 parts are :
- No doubt in any of the principles of Janism.
- There should be no love for materialistic goods,
- Despite uncountable vices in the body, one should not develop a sense of resentment for it.
- One should not have a bent of mind towards the incorrect path,
- The pious should be praised but the others should not be criticised,
- People who have deviated from the path of Dharma must be shown the right path,
- The religious minded people should be completely respected,
- Tireless efforts should be made to propagate Jain principles.
Right Belief can be acquired by a person only when he keeps at bay from three kinds of superstitions and 8 kinds of pride.
The 3 kinds of superstitions are as follows :
- To think of oneself pious by climbing mountains, bathing in the rivers or walking on fire,
- To believe in the false gods and goddesses,
- To serve the false ascetics.
The 8 kinds of pride are as follows :
- Pride in knowledge,
- Pride in worship,
- Pride in family,
- Pride in one’s caste,
- Pride in one’s power,
- Pride in wealth,
- Pride in meditation,
- Pride in physical beauty. Right Belief prepares the foundation of prosperity and salvation for us.
2. Right Knowledge : Right Knowledge is the foundation of right belief. For this reason, there is a strong relationship between Right Belief and Right Knowledge. Right Knowledge is that which is given in the Jain Shastras. A person who wants to attain salvation, should essentially attain Right Knowledge. This knowledge does not come from outside but comes by removing the curtains of the element of Karma from one’s life. This knowledge is said to have two forms which are called direct and indirect. The knowledge that one acquires directly through the Soul is called direct whereas the knowledge that one acquires through senses is called indirect knowledge.
The Jains give five types of knowledge :
- Mati Jnana : This knowledge is acquired through the senses and is limited,
- Shruti Jnana : This knowledge is acquired by reading or listening. Through this, the knowledge of the past, present and future can be acquired. This knowledge too can be acquired through the senses,
- Awadhi Jnana : The knowledge acquired through the Soul about a distant time and place is called Awadhi Jnana.
- Manparyaya Jnana : This knowledge too can be acquired through the Soul,
- Kevala Jnana : It is the complete true knowledge. It is also called Parmarthic Gyan. A person who acquires this knowledge is called Siddha.
Errors in knowledge are caused because of :
- an error caused by senses
- incorrect study
- vague perspective.
Just as a little amount of sourness added to milk can make the entire milk sour, similarly a small flaw in one’s knowledge prohibits a person from acquiring the Right Knowledge.
3. Right Conduct : In order to attain salvation, aft.er acquiring Right Belief and Right Knowledge, it is extremely essential to acquire the Right Conduct. Right Conduct alone destroys the karmic elements of a person and prepares the path of salvation for him. To follow the Right Conduct, Jainism has prescribed some rules. These rules though apply in the same manner to the common people and the Jain ascetics but the degree of enforcement is different. The Jain ascetics have to strictly follow these rules whereas some concessions have been granted to the common people. These rules are called the five Mahavratas or five Annuvratas.
According to- these :
- Man should never give suffering to others and he should follow the policy of Ahimsa.
- He should always speak the truth. He should speak sweet and good for all.
- He should not keep anything with him which he has not received in charity.
- He should not desire any materialistic things.
- He should follow Brahmacharya.
By following the above mentioned Tri-Ratnas, a creature’s karmic deeds start getting destroyed slowly and he attains his ultimate objective i.e. Moksha. In the end, we agree with the words of J.P. Sudha, “According to the Jains, the three Jewels of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, known as Triratna constitute the path which prevents fresh karmic matter from entering the soul and frees the individual from the bond of rebirth.”
Question 7.
Write a note on Ahimsa (non-violence) of Jainism.
Or
Throw light on the Jain principle of Ahimsa.
Or
What is meant by Ahimsa? What is its importance in Jainism?
Or
Write a note on the concept of Ahimsa in Jainism.
Answer:
1. Meaning of Ahimsa : No other religion in the world has given so much importance to the policy of Ahimsa as has Jainism. There would be no exaggeration if one would call Ahimsa as the foundation of Jainism. Ahimsa means not to give suffering to any living being. Tightly roping the living creatures, hitting them, making them carry bulk greater than their stamina, keeping them deprived of food and water is prohibited in Jainism. Besides this, it is absolutely inappropriate to kill them for one’s own food.
According to Jain philosophy, there is life in trees and stones even. Hence, we should not cause any harm to them also. It is said in the Aacharang Sutra, “Life is dear to all, all desire happiness, no one wants sorrow, no one wants more, life is dear to all and all desire to live.” Hence, what is happiness for one, is happiness for the others also.
2. Two types of Violence : Violence is of two types : violence in thought or inner violence and violence in action or physical and external violence. All violence in action is preceded by violence in thought. In order to prevent-violence one must purify one’s thoughts. One commits sin and becomes guilty of violence when one has passionate ideas. The impure state of the inner self is a state of violence. Man gets entrapped in the vicious circle of materialistic greed and turns to violence in order to fulfil his lust, to dupe someone or to take revenge on someone.
When thoughts pertaining to this come to a person’s mind, he first pollutes his Soul. He does not stop there, but resorts to external violence and thus causes suffering to others and to himself as well. It is imperative for a person that he purifies his thoughts to prevent violence. While preaching to his disciples, Mahavira said, “Oh ! Shramanas, first fight with yourself and then proceed towards the purification of the Soul. Nothing can be achieved through external battles.”
3. Ahimsa is a Way of Life : Ahisma has been described as a way of life in Jain philosophy. A person can observe complete control over violence only when he knows about the various kinds and forms of violence. The Jain Sutras give a description of 108 types of violence that have been divided into four categories. In the first category, there are three levels of violence. Violence can be practised by self, can be made to be performed by the others or practised wishfully by the others. Man can practise violence through his heart, speech and body.
In the second category, the three tier violence becomes that of nine levels because it is practised through each of the media of heart, speech and body. In the next category, violence acquires 27 levels because there are three stages of violence-thoughts of violence, preparation for violence and then putting violence into practice. In the fourth category, the 27 level violence becomes the 108 level violence because it rises from any one of the 4 internal states of mind.
4. Ways to Escape Ahimsa : It is impossible to escape the various forms of violence. Still, the Jains observe several rules to escape from these in their lives. They walk barefoot so that no insect gets killed under their feet. They cover their mouth with a cloth so that no insect goes into their mouth. With this objective, they sieve water before drinking and do not have food after sunset. Jains mostly undertake trade as a profession and do not practise agriculture at all because they feel that during agricultural process a number of creatures get killed.
Jainism prohibits a person from consuming alcohol and intoxicants, eating flesh and fighting battles in order to prevent the thoughts of violence from entering one’s mind. By consuming these intoxicants, there is an arousal of lust and other vices in the body. This leads to a feeling of evil and causes violence. Consequently, man indulges in violence in carelessness. There is a restriction on the eating of flesh, so that to stop killing of animals and birds for food and participating in violence.
During war, a person feels proud in killing enemies, but according to Jainism killing is absolutely incorrect. It is clear from the abpve description, that in comparison to the other rules, more emphasis is laid on the principle of Ahimsa. Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain has aptly remarked, ‘ “The Ahimsite way of life is the sure panacea for all moral, social, economic and political ills. Ahimsa is the highest religion, and where there is Ahimsa, there is Victory.”
Question 8.
What is meant by Nine Truths of Jainism? Explain briefly.
Or
Which are the Nine Tatvas in Jainism? Discuss.
Or
Write a note on Nine Tatvas of Jainism.
Or
What do we learn from Nine Tatvas of Jainism?
Or
Describe the Nine Ratnas of Jainism.
Answer:
The Nine Truths or Tatvas hold a central position in Jaina philosophy. A person who desires to attain salvation should know about these Nine Truths.
These Nine Truths are :
- Jiva
- Ajiva
- Punya
- Papa
- Asarva
- Bandha
- Samvara
- Nirjara
- Moksha.
According to the Digambara sect there are seven truths. They do not consider Papa and Punya as separate, According to them, they take them as part of Asarva and Bandha. A brief description of these truths is as follows :
1. Jiva : The word Jiva means Atman (soul). It is a living entity. There are two types of Jiva in Jain philosophy. They are also called worldly creatures and free creatures. Wordly creatures are also called bonded creatures. This creature is trapped in the vicious cycle of transmigration and keeps taking birth again and again according to one’s actions and receives the good and bad fruit. A free creature is one that is free from rebirth. This creature is one with unlimited knowledge, unlimited power and unlimited qualities. This creature is free from the web of Karma.
2. Ajiva : Ajiva implies those non-living elements which have no life in them like books, paper, table and ink etc. As an example, Jiva expands in the body of the camel till it becomes as big as a camel and Jiva contracts in the body of the ant till it becomes as small as an ant. This Jiva is not visible but one can experience its presence on the basis of the actions of the body. But when the body ceases to exist, then the Jiva also becomes non-existent.
The Jiva acquires the form of the body that it occupies. Ajiva is of two types Rupi and Arupi. Rupi are those that are visible like chair, pen, pot etc. Arupi are those that are not visible like time, worry and happiness etc. There are 5 non-living elements of the Ajiva in Jain philosophy. A brief description of these is given as follows:
(a) Pudgala : Pudgala means elements or atoms. The Pudgala has four qualities of rupa, sparsh, rasa and gandh. The pudgala of agni have qualities of rupa (form), Pudgala of vayu have qualities of sparsh (touch) and Pudgala of prithvi have qualities of gandh (smell). There are two forms of Pudgala : anu rupa and skandha rupa. Anu rupa Pudgala are not worth consumption by the creatures whereas skandha rupa Pudgala are worth consumption by the creatures. The Pudgalas are considered to be the basic foundation of the creation of the entire materialistic world.
(b) Dharma : This element renders movement to the creatures and Pudgalas and aids their mutual cooperation. For example, fish needs water for its movement in the same manner, the creatures and pudgalas imperatively require Dharma for movement. There can be no movement without Dharma.
(c) Adharma : Its form and action are completely different from Dharma. It causes obstacles in the movement of the creatures and Pudgalas. But Adharma is not the exact opposite of Dharma. The obstacle in the movement of the creature by Adharma is considered helpful for the leisure of the creature.
(d) Akasha : Akasha means that place which houses all the expansive elements of Jiva, Pudgala, Dharma and Adharma. It is on the basis of the elements that one can assume the presence of the Akasha. According to Jain philosophy, there are two types of Akasha, Lokakasha and Alokakasha. Lokakasha is that Akasha in which the materialistic world is present and the Akasha present above this is called Alokakasha.
(e) Kala : Kala means time. It is not an expansive element. Its presence can be felt only through assumption. The Kala is considered to be the prime cause of changes in the world. The Kala is associated with the past, present and future. Kala is called the element of the beginning and end.
3. Punya : Punya is that Karma that is earned through good deeds. There are different ways of earning Punya. Giving food to the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, giving clothes to the naked, to care for others and serving them, speaking sweetly etc. are actions of Punya. There are 42 means of deserving Punya. Good health, financial prosperity, fame, good marital life, good relatives, having good friends, good education and appointment to high posts etc. are consequences of good Punya. Punya is considered to be an aid to the Self because it gives happiness.
4. Papa : Papa is considered to be the main cause for the bonds of a creature. Killing of creatures, telling lies, stealing, greed, attachment, pride, forgery, drug abuse and enemity etc. lead to an increase in the bulk of the Papa. The evils are subjected to great punishments. You must have seen that two real brothers born in the same house have great disparity in their lives. One may be designated at a high post and may acquire great fame.
The other flees from pillar to post, indulges in stealing and earns a bad name. Why does this happen? According to Jain philosophy, there is a reason for such a person earning Punya and Papa. An evil doer can never be happy and has to suffer grave problems in his life. Even his Soul keeps suffering. According to Jain Sutras, there are 82 different consequences of Papa (evil).
5. Asrava : There are uncountable karmic elements in the universe that the Soul attracts towards itself according to good and bad deeds. This action of entry is called Asrava. A man’s Karmas are included in a person’s Soul in the same manner as water enters a boat through a hole. Karma is the main cause for a creature’s bonds. Karmas are material.
Hence they do not enter the Jiva directly, they enter the Jiva with the help of the heart, thought and body. Karmas are of two types, good and bad. If good Karmas enter the Jiva, it acquires happiness and if bad Karmas enter the Jiva, then it experiences suffering. Hence, whether the Karmas are good or bad depends on the nature of a person.
6. Bandha : When the karmic matter veils the pure form of a creature, it gets impure. It becomes the cause of bondage of a creature. According to Jain philosophy, there are five reasons for going in this direction,
- Mithyadarshana : It means wrong belief,
- Avirati : It means lack of promise,
- Pramada : It means carelessness,
- Kashaya : It means lust,
- Yoga : It means the action of the body, heart and speech.
Bandhas are of four types,
- Prakriti : The nature of karmic elements attached to the Jiva.
- Sthiti : The time duration for which the karmic elements are attached to the Jiva.
- Anubhaga : The karmic elements are either harsh or soft in character.
- Pradesh Jiva : The number of particles in the karmic matter attached to the Jiva.
A Jiva entrapped in the vicious cycle of Karma is behaviourally destroyed and gets entrapped in bandhan. For this reason, he takes birth again and again and experiences imprisonment of the body.
7. Samvara : It is because of yoga that the karmic matter is attracted towards the Jiva. Hence it is extremely essential to stop this activity for the attainment of salvation. It is called Samvara. It is also called Asravanirodha which means to prevent the Karmas from entering our body. There are 57 ways to stop the Karma. These include self control, good thoughts, to avoid greed, attachment, pride, anger and evil deeds.
Because of these, a huge wall is erected around the Jiva that prevents the karmic elements from entering the Jiva. Just as it is feasible to stop the water flowing from a drain pipe by blocking the drain pipe, similarly it is possible to block the karmic elements from entering the Jiva through Samvara.
8. Nirjara : Nirjara means to remove the karmic elements from the Jiva. It is a major mean of destroying the karmic elements, accumulated by the Jiva. With Samvara, one can stop the growth and entry of Karmas in a Jiva. But the older Karmas that have been subjected to Asrava can be destroyed through Niijara. Nirjara involves meditation. Meditation destroys the karmic elements accumulated like fire and reduces them to ashes. In this manner when the veil of karmic elements is removed from the Jiva, then its pure form emerges. Just as a glass appears black when covered by a black cloth but when the cloth is removed, it retrieves its shine back.
9. Moksha : According to Jain philosophy, a man’s ultimate objective is attainment of Moksha or Nirvana. In this, the Jiva acquires freedom from all bonds. It is only with end of Karma, that man can attain Moksha. Hence Samvara and Nirjara is essential. To break the bond of Karmas, the Jains advocate to follow the Three Jewels of Jainism which are called Tri-Ratna. These are Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. Moksha is the supreme objective of a Jiva. A person who attains Moksha is called siddha. Siddha is free from birth, death, joy and sorrow. He acquires immortal place in this universe.
Question 9.
Describe the importance of Five Mahavartas in Jainism.
Or
Discuss the five Mahavartas of Jainism.
Or
What is the importance of Five Mahavartas in Jainism? Elucidate.
Or
Describe the Five Anuvartas of Jainism.
Answer:
The Five Mahavartas of Jainism occupy a significant place. It is essential for every Jain to observe these rules. These rules are very hard for every Jain monk and nun. There is some relaxation in these for the householders. These rules are called Five Mahavartas in Jainism. These Mahavartas are also known as Anuvartas. A brief account of these is as follows :
1. Ahimsa : Jainism emphasises a lot on Ahimsa. Aacharanga Sutra emphasises on the importance of Ahimsa by saying, “One’s life is dear to everyone, all want happiness, no one desires sorrow, no one wants in excess, life is dear to everybody and all have a desire to live.” Hence, whatever is pleasurable for us is pleasurable for others as well. Violence is of two types : violence through the heart, and violence through Karma. Before violence comes in action or through Karma, violence first comes in one’s heart i.e. in one’s thoughts. Anger, pride, greed and fraud are forms of violence of the heart.
Hence, it is extremely important to purify the thoughts of the heart in order to avoid violence. According to Jainism, besides human beings, the Soul also resides in animals, stones and trees etc. Hence we should not give any trouble to the living or non-living beings. For this reason, the Jains walk barefoot, wear a cloth over the mouth, drink water after sieving and eat nothing after dark to avoid killing of any small creature. According to Harbans Singh and L.M. Joshi, “The doctrine of non-violence (ahimsa) is a cardinal principle of Jain religion.”
2. Satya : In Jainism great emphasis is laid on satya i.e. speaking of truth. We should always speak sweetly. By doing this one can cast its spell on the other person. One hurts its own self by speaking harsh, unpleasant and violent words. Such a person could never find solace. By speaking falsehood one increases its problems. There is no end to these problems. The consequence of falsehood is always disgracable. Therefore, we should never speak falsehood due to fear or due to any other cause. Therefore, we should think twice before speaking. We should not be angry with anybody.
In Jainism, it is emphasised that we should not put false blame on anybody. We should not deceive anybody. We should not waylay any honest person. We should not tie up any relation which is based on falsehood. We should never give false evidence in Panchayat or any other judicial court. Falsehood results in himsa (violence). Satya is the base of Ahimsa.
3. Asteya : The principle of Asteya is given special importance in Jainism. Asteya means not to steal. In Jainism theft is very encompassed. To steal a thing is a direct crime. On the other hand in Jainism if one uses a forgotten thing of others is also considered a theft. So we should not use the thing of any other person if it is not given by the owner. We shouldn’t enter the house of anybody unless called by the owner.
If allowed to enter we should not touch any thing kept in the house. We shouldn’t accept anything which is not given by the owner. We shouldn’t stay in anybody’s house unless told by the owner. Adulteration, abetment of theft, smuggling, use of false weights and measures, receiving stolen property and the like come under stealing. If a person commits theft once in his life time he borns in the house of poor. If he commits theft many times then he borns as a slave next time.
4. Aparigraha : In Jainism Aparigraha is given great importance. Aparigraha means non-attachment to worldly things. Generally it is seen that house holders used to accumulate more things than were required. It is not bad to accumulate the required things. But to accumulate them in large numbers is a sin. It deprives the other person of his right to have things. The more a person accumulates the more he remains mentally disturbed.
Today, men and nations are striving for enhancement of their wealth and territory at the cost of others. As a consequence the individual and national tensions are inceasing. The Jain monks and nuns are prohibited from taking more food clothes to wear and the like things than required. A person who strictly follows aparigraha attains Nirvana.
5. Brahmacharya : Brahmacharya is also given special importance in Jainism. It means to free oneself completely from sexual inclination. The Jain monks and nuns are strictly commanded to follow this rule. The Jain monks are strictly prohibited to come in contact with any women or talk with them. They should not even think of any women with whom they had any contact in the past even in their dreams. They should not visit any house where only a single lady lives. Similarly the Jain nuns are prohibited to think of men or to talk with them.
The house holder who abstains himself from the sexual contacts with all other women except his nuptial partner is observing brahmcharya. In Jainism sex passion is called an evil which ends life. Dr. K.C. Sogani aptly says, “The observance of these five vows is capable of bringing about individual as well as social progress. Thus, the Jaina faith and morals sum up the spiritual and moral living of the individual along with the social upliftment.”
Question 10.
Write about the main sects in Jainism.
Answer:
The Jains are divided into several sects. A few of the major sects have been briefly described as follows :
1. The Ajivika : The founder of the Ajivika sect was Goshala. He was the disciple of Lord Mahavira and got separated from him after 6 years. This sect was popular for its principle of niyati (luck). According to this, the destiny of every thing is pre¬determined. It cannot be changed by man’s efforts. This sect popularised by Goshala prospered till the 13th century and later it became non-existent.
2. The Digambara and Shvetambara Sects : The Digambara and Shvetambara sects were the most popular sects of Jainism. There was a terrible famine in Magadha during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. Hence Bhadrabahu, who was the leader of Jain monks went to Mysore (Karnataka) with a lot of monks. The monks who were left behind in Magadha appointed Sthoolbhadra as their leader. These monks organised a meeting in Pataliputra and gave their literature a new form.
They called this literature as Anga. Besides this, these monks gave up the practice of always being naked and started wearing white clothes. After 12 years, when Bhadrabahu came back to Magadha along with other monks they could not accept these changes. Consequently, the Jains were divided into two sects, the Digambara and Shvetambara. Digambara meant those who remained naked and Shvetambara meant those who wore white clothes. The main differences between the two sects are as follows :
- The Digambaras remain naked while the Shvetambaras clad themselves in white clothes.
- The Digambaras believe that women cannot attain salvation till they are born in the form of males. The Shvetambaras refute this principle. They feel that the women can attain salvation in this birth itself.
- The Digambaras do not allow women to be a part of the Jain Sangha. On the other hand, the Shvetambara sect exerts no such restriction on the women. They say that Malli the 19th Tirthankara was a woman. The Digambaras refute this belief.
- The Digambaras believe that Lord Mahavira did not get married. The Shvetambaras believe that Lord Mahavira was married. He had a daughter whose name was Priyadarshana.
- Those belonging to the Digambara sect are of the view that the ascetics who attain enlightenment do not need any food whereas the Shvetambaras refute this.
- The religious literature of Digambara and Shvetambara sects is different.
- The idols of the Digambara sect are bare whereas those of Shvetambara sect are clad in clothes and they are decorated with ornaments.
3. Lonka Sect : The founder of this sect was Lonka Sa. He was a resident of Ahmedabad. In 1474 A.D., a Jain ascetic Jhanaji asked Lonka Sa to copy some religious Jain texts. While reading these texts, Lonka Sa realised that there was no mention of idol worship whereas the Jains had been indulging in idol worship for past so many centuries. Hence he vehemently opposed the prevalent system of idol worship in Jainism. This started a major controversy. Bhanaji was in agreement with the Lonka sect and thus became the first preacher (acharya) of Lonka sect.
4. Sthanakavasi : The founder of this sect was Viraji. He was a resident of Surat. The name of this new sect was Sthanakavasi because the saints of this sect lived in maths rather than temples. They led an extremely simple life. They did not believe in idol worship and pilgrimages.
5. Terapantha : The founder of this sect was Bhikanji of Marwar. It was established in 1706 A.D. There were 13 religious rules of this sect and hence the name of this sect came to be Terapanth. This sect also did not believe in idol worship. They emphasised strongly on meditation and discipline.
6. Taranapantha : This sect was established by Lord Tarana in Gwalior. The followers of this sect were against idol worship, the practices of religion and caste discrimination. They have separate temples in which the idols are not worshipped but the sacred texts are worshipped instead.
Question 11.
What are the main sects in Jainism? Explain their similarities and differences.
Or
Describe the sects Digambara and Shvetambra of Jainism.
Answer:
In Jainism great emphasis is laid on satya i.e. speaking of truth. We should always speak sweetly. By doing this one can cast its spell on the other person. One hurts its own self by speaking harsh, unpleasant and violent words. Such a person could never find solace. By speaking falsehood one increases its problems. There is no end to these problems. The consequence of falsehood is always disgracable. Therefore, we should never speak falsehood due to fear or due to any other cause. Therefore, we should think twice before speaking. We should not be angry with anybody.
In Jainism, it is emphasised that we should not put false blame on anybody. We should not deceive anybody. We should not waylay any honest person. We should not tie up any relation which is based on falsehood. We should never give false evidence in Panchayat or any other judicial court. Falsehood results in himsa (violence). Satya is the base of Ahimsa.
Question 12.
Explain the salient features of Jain Sangha.
Or
Discuss the Sangha discipline of Jainism.
Answer:
The Jain Sangha was established by Lord Mahavira in Pava. It appreciably contributed towards the growth of Jainism.
1. Member : Four kinds of people could join the Jain Sangha who were called monks (sharmana) and nuns (sadhvi) and laymen called upaska or sharavaka and laywomen called upasika or shravika. Monks and nuns were those, who had given up the materialistic world. Shravakas and shravikas were those who led a married life,
2. Initiation : Those people who wanted to join the Jain Sangha had to take permission from the parents and guardian. After this they had their head shaved off, took bath, wore white clothes and took an alms bowl for initiation by a major Jaip Acharya. This custom was called the Nishkarman Sanskara. Women too could join the Jain Sangha. The doors of the Jain Sangha were open for people of all castes. Only evil doers were not allowed to join the Jain Sangha.
3. Disciplined Life : After taking initiation, the monks and nuns had to lead a very disciplined life. They had to follow the Five Mahavratas of ahimsa, sunit, asteya, aparigriha and brahmacharya. They were prohibited from exercising violence on anyone from the heart, thought and body.
They were strictly prohibited from telling lies, stealing, keeping wealth with oneself, use of fragrant objects, shoes, umbrella, bed and chair etc. entering the others’ premises without permission, eating in the utensils of the household, excessive eating, eating after sunset, criticising someone, talking to a woman, staying at a house where a woman lived etc. Though married people were also asked to observe these rules, but not so strictly.
4. Daily Life : Each monk or nun divided his daily life into 8 parts. Of these, 4 parts were for study of the religious texts, 2 for meditation, 1 part for food consumption and 1 part for sleep. They ate their food after begging for it. They were prohibited from collecting alms from more than one house. All the members of Jain Sangha lived at one place during the four months of monsoon to study Jainism. During the rest of the eight months, they had to go to different places to preach Jainism.
5. Chief of the Jain Sangha : The chief of the Jain Sangha was called Acharya: He maintained control over all the monks of the Sangha. Only he had the right to render initiation, make member of the Sangha and award punishment to anyone. Only a very simple and a person of high character could be appointed to this post. The women had their separate Sanghas. Its chief was called Pravartini. Her main duty was to maintain discipline in the Sangha.
6. Role of Jain Sangha : The Jain Sangha played a vital role in the popularisation of Jainism in India. The monks and nuns who were working in these Sanghas left no stone unturned for the spread of Jainism. S.C. Ray Choudhary aptly writes, “In fact, it is mainly due to their efforts that Jainism took root into Indian soil and still survives.”
Question 13.
What is the language of Jain scriptures? Give preliminary information about Jain scriptures.
Or
Give preliminary information about the major Jain scriptures.
Or
Give information about the prominent scriptures of Jainism.
Or
What do you know almut the prominent scriptures of Jainism?
Or
Throw light on the prominent Jain scriptures.
Answer:
The Jains composed several religious texts. Of these, texts available to us are 45 in number. All these texts are associated with the Shvetambra sect of Jainism. These texts have been written in -either Prakrit or Ardhamagadhi which was the spoken language of common people of that time. These texts were given a written form in 5th century at a place called Vallabhi in Gujarat. These were completed by a popular Jain saint Devaridhi. These texts are divided into 6 parts.
Their names are :
- 12 Angas
- 12 Upangas
- 10 Prakirans
- 6 Chedasutras
- 4 Mulasutras
- 2 miscellaneous books.
A brief description of these is as follows :
1. The Twelve Angas : Of all the religious texts, the 12 Angas are considered to be the most sacred. A brief description and the names of these Angas are as given below :
- Aacharanga Sutra : It gives a description of the rules prescribed for the Jain monks and nuns. It also gives a description of the life of Mahavira.
- Sutrakritanga : It gives a description of the principles of Karma and Ahimsa and also about the sufferings of hell. Besides this, it also raises objection to the principles of the opposing religions with an objective to further strengthen the faith of the Jains in their religion.
- Sthananga : It gives a description of the various subjects of Jainism.
- Samavayanga : It gives a description of the Jain principles numericallly.
- Bhagvati Sutra : It is considered to be the most important text of the Jaina religious literature. It describes the Jain principles in question-answer form. These questions were put forward by the main disciple of Lord Mahavira i.e. Gautam Indrabhuti and were answered by Lord Mahavira.
- Jnatridharmakatha : It gives a description of the popular stories related to Jainism. These stories have been explained with instances.
- Upasakadasha : It gives a description of those 10 rich people of Lord Mahavira’s time who had become Mahavira’s disciples and those who attained salvation after great meditation.
- Antakriddasha : It gives a description of the lives of those Jain ascetics who attained salvation after great meditation.
- Anuttarapapatika : It also gives a description of the lives of some Jain hermits.
- Prashna Vyakarana : It gives a description of the five mahavratas and the five annuvratas.
- Vipaka Sutra : It describes the fruits of the good and evil deeds.
- Drishtivada : This part has now become non-existent.
From the other texts, one can get information related to this part on the basis of which one can interpret that it gives a brief description of the various principles.
2. The Twelve Upangas : Each Anga has an Upanga. It gives information on astrology, geography and universe etc. At certain places, there is a mention of historical events of all the twelve Upangas. The most popular Upanga is Rajapaseniya. It gives a description of the conversation between the Jain ascetic Kesha and a king called Payosa.
3. The Ten Prakirans : These give information about the various subjects of Jainism in prose form. These give important information about the life and preachings of Lord Mahavira.
4. The Six Chedasutras : These give a description of the behavioural norms set for the Jain monks and nuns. Of all the Chedasutras, the most popular one is Kalpasutra. It was composed by Bhadrabahu. It gives a detailed description of the life history of Lord Mahavira.
5. The Four Mulasutras : The four Mulasutras namely Uttaradhyayana, Avashyaka, Dashvaikalika and Pindaniryukti are considered valuable in Jain literature. They give a description of the stories related to Jainism and the moral teachings, rules of Jain Sangha and the life and teachings of some Jain asectics. They are in their original form.
6. Two Miscellanous Texts : These include texts by the name of Nandisutra and Anuyogadvara. They are a kind of encyclopaedia. These give information related to the various branches and religious principles of Jainism.
7. Books related with Digambara Sect : The Digambaras maintain that the original texts containing Mahavira’s teachings are lost.They revere only the four scriptures namely-Prathamanuyoga. Karananuyoga, Charananuyoga and Dravyanuyoga.
Question 14.
What is the legacy of Jainism to Indian Civilization?
Answer:
There is no doubt about the fact that Jainism could not prosper like Buddhism but still it left a great impact on the social, religious, cultural and political fields in India.
1. Legacy in the Social Field : The Jains played an important role in the social field. In the sixth century, the caste system became very stringent in Hinduism. People belonging to one caste despised people belonging to the other caste. The people of the Shudra caste were treated badly like animals. Mahavira vehemently opposed the caste system. He admitted people of every religion into Jainism. He preached mutual brotherhood and equality among people. Consequently, he was successful in eradicating mutual hatred prevalent among people to quite an extent. In this manner, the Jains gave a new form to Indian society.
2. Legacy in the Religious Field : The Jains coptributed appreciably towards the religious field. Jainism inspired people to lead a simple and pious life. There was no room for useless rituals and customs, yajnas and sacrifices etc. Because of the efforts of Jainism, several superstitions prevalent in the religious field were eradicated. Seeing the growing popularity of Jainism, the leaders of Hinduism made some important amendments in the religion in order to reform it.
3. Legacy in the Cultural Field : Jainism contributed greatly in the cultural field also. The principles of Jainism were written in their texts in Prakrit, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil languages. Consequently, it gave a lot of encouragement to these regional languages. Though, it mainly describes the issues pertaining to religion, yet it also gives important information about the social and political condition. For this reason, these Jain texts are considered to be valuable source of Indian History.
The Jains constructed several influential and famous temples. Several attractive idols were placed in them. The Jain temples of Mount Abu in Rajasthan and Shravana Belagola in Karnataka are famous not only in India but the entire world. Besides these, the Jains constructed several popular stupas in India.
4. Legacy in the Field of Public Welfare : Lord Mahavira preached about social service among his disciples. For this reason, the Jains constructed several dharmashalas to give facilities to the people. To propagate education, the Jains established educational institutes, hospitals for human beings and animals and several other works of public welfare. Several of the educational institutes established by the Jains are popular even today. Free treatment is given to the poor sick people in the hospitals established by the Jains even today and so are the animals taken care of.
5. Legacy in the Political Field : Jainism lays a lot of emphasis on the principle of Ahimsa. It inspired the people to lead a peaceful life. Consequently, several kings stopped participating in battles so that the innocent people were not killed. They became peace loving. For this reason, India experienced peace and prosperity for quite some time but on the other hand it had an adverse impact on Indian polity. Due to lack of participation in battles the Indian army grew weak. Consequently, later they could not face the foreign invasions. For this reason, the Indians had to live under foreign rule for several years.
To conclude, we can say that the Jains gave valuable contribution in several fields of Indian society. In the end, we agree with the words of Dr. V.A. Sangve, “In fact, the most outstanding characteristic of Jains in India is their very impressive record of contributions to Indian culture. In comparison with the limited and small population of Jains, the achievements of Jains in enriching the various aspects of Indian culture are really great.”
Short Answer Type Questions (Type-1):
Question 1.
What do you mean by Tirthankara?
Answer:
Acharyas are called Tirthankara. Tirthankara means a guru who helps to cross the ocean of life. The jains believed in 24 Tirthankaras. The First Tirthankaras was Rishabhanatha. The 23rd Tirthankaras was Parshavanatha. He was born 250 ears before Lord Mahavira. The 24rd Tirthankaras was Lord Mahavira. He is msidered the actual founder of Jainism.
Question 2.
Parshavanatha.
Answer:
Parshavanatha was the 23th Tirthankara of Jainism. The teachings of Parshavanatha were :
- Do not harm the living beings (ahimsa).
- Do not tell lies (sunrita).
- Do not take without giving, (asteya).
- Do not desire any materialistic things (aparigraha). Around 777 B.C., he attained Nirvana at a mountain called Mount Sammeta.
Question 3.
Write a short note on Lord Mahavira.
Answer:
Lord Mahavira was born at Kundagrama near Vaishali in 599 B.C. The name of his father was Siddhartha and the name of his mother was Trishala. The childhood name of Mahavira was Vardhmana. Mahavira was married to a beautiful princess named Yashoda. Mahavira renounced the world at the age of 30. He got enlightenment after hard penance of 12 years. He preached his knowledge in order to remove darkness from the minds of people. Rajgriha, Vaishali, Kosala, Mithila, Videha and Anga were his famous preaching centres. He attained his salvation at Pava in 527 B.C.
Question 4.
Discuss about the teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Or
Teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Answer:
The teachings of Lord Mahavira were very simple and impressive. According to him, the ultimate aim of life is to attain salvation. Accordingly, he taught his followers to follow Tri-Ratnas :
- right belief
- right knowledge
- and right conduct.
He believed in hard penance. He laid more emphasis on non-violence. According to him, besides human beings and animals, we should not harm even birds, plants and trees. He believed in the doctrines of karma and transmigration of soul. He preached equality and universal brotherhood of mankind. He inspired the people to lead a simple and pure life. He believed in the worship of Tirthankaras.
Question 5.
What is meant by Tri-Ratnas? What is its importance?
Or
Write about the Tri-Ratnas of Jainism.
Answer:
According to Jainism, the ultimate aim of a man’s life is to attain salvation. In order to achieve it, it is utmost necessary for every person to follow Tri-Ratnas. These three Ratnas are right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. According to first Ratna, every man should have firm faith in 24 Tirthankaras, 9 truths and the Jain scriptures. According to second Ratna, the Jains should attain true and complete knowledge. It can be acquired through deep study of sermons of Tirthankaras. According to third Ratna, one should spend one’s life with right conduct taught by Jainism. All these three Ratnas go side by side.
Question 6.
What is the importance of AJijUqsa in Jainism?
Answer:
Jainism emphasises a lot on Ahimsa. Aacharanga Sutra emphasises on tl imnortance of Ahimsa bv savine. “One’s life is dear to evervone. all want hanDiness. one desires sorrow, no one wants in excess, life is dear to everybody and all have a desire to live.” Hence, whatever is pleasurable for us is pleasurable for others as well. The Soul also resides in animals, stones and trees etc. Hence we should not give any trouble to the living or non-living beings. For this reason, the Jains walk barefoot, wear a cloth over the mouth, drink water after sieving and eat nothing after dark to avoid killing of any small creature.
Question 7.
What is the importance of Karma Theory in Jain Philosophy?
Answer:
In Jainism, the Karma theoiy has a significant place. According to this theory, as soon as one has a good or a bad thought, it immediately attaches itself to the Jiva (Self) just as the dust particles stick themselves to the oily body. These Karmas are of eight types :
- Gyanvamiya Karmas
- Darshanvamiya Karmas
- Vaidniya Karmas
- Mohniya Karmas
- Ayu Karmas
- Naam Karmas
- Gotra Karmas
- Antriya Karmas.
Because of one’s Karmas, man is trapped in the vicious circle of transmigration. Man can obtain freedom by destroying one’s Karmas.
Question 8.
What is meant by Papa and Punya in the Jainism?
Answer:
- Papa : Papa is considered to be the main cause for the bonds of a creature. Killing of creatures, telling lies, stealing, greed, attachment, pride, forgery, drug abuse and enemity etc. lead to an increase in the bulk of the Papa. The evil doers are subjected to great punishments. According to Jain Sutras, there are 82 different consequences of Papa (evil).
- Punya : Punya is that Karma that is earned through good deeds. There are different ways of earning Punya. Giving food to the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, giving clothes to the naked, to care for others and serving them, speaking sweetly etc. are actions of Punya. There are 42 means of deserving Punya.
Question 9.
Write a note on Digambara and Svetambara.
Or
What do you understand by Digambara and Svetambara?
Answer:
- The followers of Digambara sect live naked whereas the followers of Svetambara sect wore white clothes.
- The Digambara sect does not allow women to join Jain Sanghas wheres Svetambara sect does not impose any such restriction.
- The followers of Digambara sect are of the opinion that women cannot get salvation unless they take birth as men.
The followers of Svetambara sect do not believe in this doctrine. They are of the view that women can get salvation in their present life.
Question 10.
Why could not Jainism become popular in India?
Answer:
In spite of its high ideals Jainism could not gain much popularity in India lue to many reasons. Firstly, Jainism lacked effective machinery to propagate and onvey its message to the common people. Secondly, though Jainism received royal
Question 3.
Describe any four features of Akal Purkh (God) in Sikhism.
Answer:
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed in one God only,
- God has two forms. He is Nirguna (without attributes) as well as Saguna (with attributes),
- By his order (Hukam) the universe came into existence,
- He is beyond the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
Question 4.
What is the importance of remembering Divine Name in Sikhism?
Answer:
Remembering the Divine Name or Simran is considered to be the highest form of worship of God. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that on one hand remembering the Divine Name eradicates all sins of the heart, on the other hand it becomes placid. For this reason, man’s sorrows come to an end. All his fears are dispelled. By remembering the Divine Name, a man’s works are accomplished easily because God himself helps him in all his works. A person who remembers the Divine Name of God, has a soul that is always gentle and fragrant like a lotus flower. A person who remembers the Divine Name is able to awim across the vicious circle of transmigration. Without Name, man’s life on this earth is futile.
Question 5.
What is the meaning of Honest Labour?
Answer:
Kirat means honest labour. Honest labour is extremely important. It is the ordain of the Absolute (Hukam). We observe everyday that every creature earns his livelihood through Kirat. Hence the need for honest labour is extremely essential for man because he is the head of all creatures. Kirat is essential to keep the body healthy that shelters in it the Supreme soul. A person who does not perform honest labour cannot keep his body fit. Such a person actually performs a sin against the Absolute. But he is strictly prohibited from earning means of theft, robbery, dacoity,- fraud, bribery and evil.
Question 6.
What is the importance of Sangat in Sikhism?
Answer:
Sangat or Sadh Sangat is crux of Sikhism. The foundation of this institution was laid by Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Kartarpur. Wherever he went, the Sangat was formed there. Sangat implies ‘a congregation of the Gurmu lovers where they praised God.’ Every woman or man without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, colour, religion, rich, poor etc. could join it. The basic principle of Sikhism lies in the belief that the God Himself resides in the Sangat. Thus the life of a person who is a part of the Sangat completely changes.
Question 7.
What is the importance of Pangat in Sikh Way of life?
Or
Write a short note on the Pangat.
Answer:
The institution of Pangat has a commendable role to play in the development f Sikhism. Guru Nanak Dev Ji had laid the foundation of this important institution i Kartarpur. Every woman or man without any discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, creed, rich or poor etc. could join the Pangak Everyone had equal rights to serve. Due to this reason, the feeling of mutual brotherhood among the Sikhs developed.
It gave respect to the lower castes which had been oppressed by the higher classes for centuries. The money for this Langar was donated by the Sikhs of the Guru. This helped them develop the habit of donation and charity. Due to the institution of Pangat, the popularity of Sikhism spread far and wide.
Question 8.
What is the importance of Sangat and Pangat in Sikhism? Elucidate.
Answer:
Sangat or Sadh Sangat is crux of Sikhism. The foundation of this institution was laid by Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Kartarpur. Wherever he went, the Sangat was formed there. Sangat implies ‘a congregation of the Gurmu lovers where they praised God.’ Every woman or man without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, colour, religion, rich, poor etc. could join it. The basic principle of Sikhism lies in the belief that the God Himself resides in the Sangat. Thus the life of a person who is a part of the Sangat completely changes.
The institution of Pangat has a commendable role to play in the development f Sikhism. Guru Nanak Dev Ji had laid the foundation of this important institution i Kartarpur. Every woman or man without any discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, creed, rich or poor etc. could join the Pangak Everyone had equal rights to serve. Due to this reason, the feeling of mutual brotherhood among the Sikhs developed.
It gave respect to the lower castes which had been oppressed by the higher classes for centuries. The money for this Langar was donated by the Sikhs of the Guru. This helped them develop the habit of donation and charity. Due to the institution of Pangat, the popularity of Sikhism spread far and wide.
Question 9.
Describe the concept of Hukam in Sikhism.
Answer:
Hukam is an important concept of Sikh philosophy. The word Hukam is derived from an Arabic word that means order, commandment or instruction. The Hukam of the Absolute is to be accepted as sweet as has been mentioned at several places in the Gurbani. Guru Nanak Dev Ji writes in the ‘Japji’ that the entire universe has been created in accordance to the Hukam of God. It is because of the Hukam that they become good or evil and receive joy or sorrow. They can acquire freedom from their sins or remain entrapped in the vicious circle of transmigration because of Hukam.
Question 10.
What is meant by Haumai in Sikhism?
Answer:
The concept of Haumai (ego) has been described again and again in Sikh philosophy. Haumai means ‘Ego’ or T. It is a boundary that separates a creature’s soul from the omnipotent Supreme Soul. It would be no exaggeration to call the Haumai of the individual as a powerful fort of T. Because of Haumai, man can form a world of his own with his thoughts. In it, the Haumai or his ego is very strong. Consequently, he loses his true individuality.
Question 11.
“Ego is deep rooted disease.” How?
Answer:
Haumai is a chronic disease, that when afflicts a person like cancer is difficult to cure. It is the creator of the five vices-lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride. Such a man tells lies of several kinds, indulges in extravagance and takes the help of several false acts. Consequently it gives rise to the evil. It takes such a frightening form that life turns hell. A man who is filled with Haumai distances himself from the Supreme Soul and remains entrapped in the vicious circle of birth and death.
Question 12.
What is the importance of Guru in the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
Or
What was the concept of ‘Guru’ of Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
Answer:
Guru has an important place in Sikh philosophy. Sikh Gurus consider the ‘Guru’ extremely important to reach die’Almighty. According to them, Guru is tb true ladder to attain salvation. Without1 the Guru, man can see darkness all around. It is the Guru who helps an individual to move from darkness (ignorance) to light (enlightenment). A Guru helps a person to cure his diseases of attachment to maya and Haumai. It is he who describes’ the method of treading on the path of devotion by the recitation of Naam and Shabads A Guru is not possible without feelings of devotion and knowledge. A Guru can make the impossible possible and it can transform a person’s lifestyle completely.
Question 13.
What is the importance of Kirtan in Sikhism?
Or
Kirtan is very important in the Sikh way of life.
Answer:
The Kirtan holds an important position in Sikhism. It is considered to be the highest means of attainment of spiritualism. In almost all the traditions of Sikhism, Kirtan is performed. Kirtan means that form of singing in which there is praise of the Akal Purakh. Singing the Gurbani according to ragas is called Kirtan. It was Guru Nanak Dev Ji who started the practice of Kirtan in Sikhism. He was accompanied by Bhai Mardana Ji who throughout his travels used to play the Rabab at the time of Kirtan. Kirtan performed with a sense of love and devotion influences a man’s soul to the core.
This awakens the dead souls of people and renders them free of all sufferings and cleanses his heart of all evil. He remains engrossed in recitation of Nam. It humbles a person’s heart. His soul feels devoted and happy and his life emerges out to be successful. For this reason, Kirtan has often been referred to as invaluable.
Question 14.
Explain the importance of Seva in Sikhism.
Answer:
Special importance has been given to Seva in Sikh philosophy. There is no doubt that there has been a glorious description about Seva in every religion but the importance that has been given to it in Sikhism is far greater than any other religion. Seva is actually devotion of high order. It can prove to be fruitful only when it is performed without any selfish motive. A man doesn’t receive the privilege of performing Seva till he removes the feeling of Haumai.
Question 15.
What were the views of Sikh Gurus regarding Caste?
Or
Describe the views of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji regarding Caste System.
Answer:
During Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s itme, Hindu Society was not only divided into four major castes—Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra—but also divided into several sub-castes. The people belonging to higher castes took great pride in themselves md looked down upon the people of lower caste and inflicted great atrocities on them, ntouchability was quite prevalent in society. Guru Nanak Dev Ji vehemently opposed e caste system and untouchability. Guru Sahib said that in God’s court there is no estion of caste-creed but a calculation of ones Karmas only. Guru Sahib initiated ; practices of ‘Sangat’ and ‘Pangat’ to provide .a severe jolt to caste system.
Question 16.
Explain the significance of Ardaas (Prayer) in Sikhism.
Or
What is the significance of Ardaas (Prayer) in Sikhism?
Answer:
Though the Ardaas forms a part of all religions but it occupies a special position in Sikhism. The word Ardaas has been derived from a Persian word Araz Dast which means to request before someone. Ardaas is that key in Sikhism that opens the gates to the abode of God. The system of performing the Ardaas in Sikhism was initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. There is no fixed time for Ardaas. It can be offered at anytime by anyone. An Ardaas performed sincerely definitely bears fruit. There are several instances for this in Sikh History.
Short Answer Type Questions (Type-2):
Question 1.
Write a short note on Lord Parshavanatha.
Answer:
Lord Parshavanatha was born 250 years before Lord Mahavira at the house of King Ashvasena in Banaras. The name of his mother was Vamadevi. He had a luxurious childhood. At the age of 30 years, Parshavanatha gave up all the pleasures of life and went out in search of true knowledge. He attained enlightenment after 83 days of meditation. He spent the rest of the 70 years of life in preaching. Around 777 B.C., he attained Nirvana at a mountain called Mount Sammeta. The teachings of Parshavanatha are called Chaturyama or the four pledges. These four pledges are :
- Do not harm the living beings (ahimsa).
- Do not tell lies (sunrita).
- Do not take without giving, (asteya).
- Do not desire any materialistic things (aparigraha).
Question 2.
Write a short note on Lord Mahavira.
Answer:
Lord Mahavira was the 24th Tirathankara of Jainism. He is considered as the real founder of Jainism. He was born at Kundagrama near Vaishali in 599 B.C. The name of his father was Siddhartha and the name of his mother was Trishala. The childhood name of Mahavira was Vardhmana. He was very meditative in his childhood. He took little interest in worldly affairs. Mahavira was married to a beautiful princess named Yashoda. A daughter was born to them and she was named Priyadarshana. Mahavira renounced the world at the age of 30. He got enlightenment after hard penance of 12 years.
He preached his knowledge in order to remove darkness from the minds of people. Rajgriha, Vaishali, Kosala, Mithila, Videha and Anga were his famous preaching centres. Mahavira laid emphasis on Tri-Ratnas, non-violence, hard penance and right conduct etc. He did not believe in yajnas, sacrifices, Vedas, Sanskrit language and the existence of God. He attained his salvation at Pava in 527 B.C. Undoubtedly, his contribution was invaluable for the development of Jainism.
Question 3.
Discuss about the teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Or
Discuss the pre-eminent teachings of Jainism.
Or
Discuss briefly the teachings of Lord Mahavira.
Or
What are the main teachings of Jainism?
Answer: The teachings of Lord Mahavira were very simple and impressive. According to him, the ultimate aim of life is to attain salvation. Accordingly, he taught his followers to follow Tri-Ratnas :
- right belief
- right knowledge
- and right conduct.
He believed in hard penance. He laid more emphasis on non-violence. According to him, besides human beings apd animals, we should not harm even birds, plants and trees. He believed in the doctfines of karma and transmigration of soul. He preached equality and universal brotherhood of mankind. He inspired the people to lead a simple and pure life. He condemned in strong words, the false rituals and yajnas which were prevalent in Hinduism.
He did not believe in the purity of Vedas and Sanskrit language. He preached in the common language of the people. He did not believe in the existence of God. He asserted that man is the architect of his own fate. He does not need any help from God. The man will get the reward of his deeds. He believed in worshipping Tirthankaras.
Question 4.
What is meant by Tri-Ratnas? What is its importance?
Or
Write about the Tri-Ratnas of Jainism.
Answer:
According to Jainism, the ultimate aim of a man’s life is to attain salvation. In order to achieve it, it is utmost necessary for every person to follow Tri-Ratnas. These three Ratnas are right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. According to first Ratna, every man should have firm faith in 24 Tirthankaras, 9 truths and the Jain scriptures. According to second Ratna, the Jains should attain true and complete knowledge. It can be acquired through deep study of sermons of Tirathankaras. There are two forms of this knowledge, direct and indirect.
The direct knowledge is that knowledge which is received by soul and indirect knowledge is that knowledge which is received through senses. According to third Ratna, one should spend one’s life with right conduct taught by Jainism. All these three Ratnas go side by side. The absence of anyone of these cannot lead a man to his destination. For example, oil, wick and fire are necessary for a lamp to give light. If anyone of these things is missing, it cannot give light.
Question 5.
What is the importance of Ahimsa in Jainism?
Answer:
Jainism emphasises a lot on Ahimsa. Aacharanga Sutra emphasises on the importance of Ahimsa by saying, “One’s life is dear to everyone, all want happiness, no one desires sorrow, no one wants in excess, life is dear to everybody and all have a desire to live.” Hence, whatever is pleasurable for us is pleasurable for others as well. Violence is of two types : violence through the heart and violence through Karma. Before violence comes in action or through Karma, violence first comes in one’s heart i.e. in one’s thoughts. Anger, pride, greed and fraud are forms of violence of the heart.
Hence, it is extremely important to purify the thoughts of the heart in order to avoid violence. The Soul also resides in animals, stones and trees etc. Hence we should not give any trouble to the living or non-living beings. For this reason, the Jains walk barefoot, wear a cloth over the mouth, drink water after sieving and eat nothing after dark to avoid killing of any small creature.
Question 6.
Write a short note on the Nine Truths of the Jainism.
Answer:
Jain philosophy teaches that there are Nine Truths.
These truths are :
- Jiva—In Jain Philosophy, the Jiva means atman or souk It is eternal and absolute. It enjoys or suffers the fruits of its deeds.
- Ajiva—It is the non-living element. It does not have the power to think. It has two types. One that has form (Rupi) and one that is formless (Arupi)
- Punya—It is consequence of good actions. There are nine .ways to merit.
- Papa—It is the main cause of the bondage of Jiva. Papa results in terrible punishments.
- Asarva—It is the process of accumulation of deeds or karmic matter by the soul. The Karmas are of eight types.
- Samvara—The process that prevents the Karma to come near the Self is called samvara. There are 57 ways to inhibit the Karma.
- Bandha—It means bondage. It is the union of Jiva with Pudgala. There are 5 reasons responsible for bondage.
- Nirjara—It means to eradicate. It helps to destroy Karma.
- Moksha—In this, the creature is freed from the vicious circle of Karma. It is a state of complete peace wherein he attains freedom from all kinds of sorrows.
Question 7.
What is the importance of Karma Theory in Jain Philosophy?
Answer:
In Jainism, the Karma theory has a significant place. According to this theory, as soon as one has a good or a bad thought, it immediately attaches itself to the Jiva (Self) just as the dust particles stick themselves to the oily body. These Karmas are of -eight types :
- Gyanvamiya Karmas—They inhibit the knowledge of Self.
- Darshanvamiya Karmqs—They inhibit the desire of the Self.
- Vaidniya Karmas— These actions lead to happiness and sorrow.
- Mohniya Karmas—These are Karmas that entrap the Self in the vicious circle of attachment.
- Ayu Karmas—These Karmas determine the age of a person.
- Naam Karmas—These Karmas determine the personality of a person.
- Gotra Karmas—These determine the gotra and hence his higher and lower status in society.
- Antriya Karmas—These are Karmas that inhibit good Karmas. Because of one’s Karmas, man is trapped in the vicious circle of transmigration. Man can obtain freedom by destroying one’s Karmas.
Question 8.
What is meant by Jiva and Ajiva in the Jainism?
Or
What is meant by Jiva in Jainism?
Answer:
1. Jiva : The world Jiva means Soul. It is a living entity. There are two types pf Jiva in Jain philosophy. They are also called worldly creatures and free creatures. Worldly creatures are also called bonded creatures. This creature is trapped in the vicious cycle of transmigration and keeps taking birth again and again according to One’s actions and receives the good and bad fruit. A free creature is one that is free from rebirth. This creature is one with unlimited knowledge, unlimited power and unlimited qualities. This creature is free from the web of Karma.
(2) Ajiva : Ajiva implies those non-living elements which have no life in them like books, paper, table and ink etc. As an example, Jiva expands in the body of the camel till it becomes as big as a camel and Jiva contracts in the body of the ant till it becomes as small as an ant. This Jiva is not visible but one can experience its presence on the basis of the actions of the body. But when the body ceases to exist, then the Jiva also becomes non-existent. The Jiva acquires the form of the body that it occupies.
Question 9.
What is meant by Papa and Punya in the Jainism?
Answer:
1. Papa : Papa is considered to be the main cause for the bonds of a creature. Killing of creatures, telling lies, stealing, greed, attachment, pride, forgery, drug abuse and enemity etc. lead to an increase in the bulk of the Papa. The evil doers are subjected to great punishments. You must have seen that two real brothers born in the same house have great disparity in their lives. One may be designated at a high post and may acquire great fame. The other flees from pillar to post, indulges ih stealing and earns a bad name. Why does this happen?
According to Jain philosophy, there is a reason for such a person earning Punya and Papa. An evil doer can never be happy and has to suffer grave problems in his life. Even his Soul keeps suffering. According to Jain Sutras, there are 82 different consequences of Papa (evil).
2. Punya : Punya is that Karma that is earned through good deeds. There are different ways of earning Punya. Giving food to the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, giving clothes to the naked, to care for others and serving them, speaking sweetly etc. are actions of Punya. There are 42 means of deserving Punya. Good health, financial prosperity, fame, good marital life, good relatives, having good friends, good education and appointment to high posts etc. are consequences of good Punya. Punya is considered to be an aid to the Self because it gives happiness.
Question 10.
What was the importance of Mahavira’s teachings in the life of a common man?
Answer:
The teachings of Mahavira were very important for common people. At that time the caste system had become very rigid and complex in Hinduism. High caste people hated the low caste people. Mahavira opposed caste system. Mahavira opened the gates to people of different categories for his religion. This helped to overcome the feeling of mutual hatred and the feeling of brotherhood and affection spread among people. Mahavira strongly denounced the prevalent superstitions in the society.
Common people were against such rituals, so the “teachings of Mahavira had great impact on their minds. Because of Mahavira’s policy of non-violence, people started hating wars and became the votaries of peace. Mahavira advised the people to serve the people and the society as well. Consequently, the Jains built many inns, hospitals, schools and other institutions of public utility.
Question 11.
What type of life a Jain monk had to lead according to the teachings of Mahavira?
Answer:
According to the teachings of Mahavira, a Jain monk should lead a very pure life. Every monk had to take five vows :
- He had to always speak the truth.
- He had to follow the policy of non-violence.
- He should not keep anything with him which he had not got in charity.
- He could not keep any money with him.
- He had to follow Brahmacharya i.e.,
he had to shun all pleasures. It was essential for a wear simple clothes and eat simple food. He was restrained from using umbrellas or perfumes. He was not allowed to talk to any woman. He was asked to speak softly so that he did not hurt anybody. He had to take care that he did not kill even germs while walking or eating.
Question 12.
Write a note on Digambara and Svetambara.
Or
What do you understand by Digambara and Svetambara?
Answer:
Among all the sects of Jainism the Digambara and Svetambara sects were most prominent. Digambara meant those who remained naked and Svetambara meant those who wore white clothes. The main differences between these two sects were as follows :
- The followers of Digambara sect live naked whereas the followers of Svetambara sect wore white clothes.
- The Digambara sect does not allow women to join Jain Sanghas wheres Svetambara sect does not impose any such restriction.
- The followers of Digambara sect are of the opinion that women cannot get salvation unless they take birth as men. The followers of Svetambara sect do not believe in this doctrine. They are of the view that women can get salvation in their present life.
- The followers of Digambara sect are of the opinion that Lord Mahavira did not marry. The followers of Svetambar sect believe that Lord Mahavira married and had a daughter whose name was Priyadarshna.
- The literature of Digambra and Svetambra sects is different.
- The idols of the Digambara sect are naked whereas the idols of Svetambara sect are dressed and decorated with ornaments.
Question 13.
Why could not Jainism become popular in India?
Answer:
In spite of its high ideals Jainism could not gain much popularity in India due to many reasons. Firstly, Jainism lacked effective machinery to propagate and convey its message to the common people. Secondly, though Jainism received royal patronage from the rulers like Bimbisara, Ajatasatru and Kharvela yet this patronage was too meagre to elevate Jainism to the height of its glory. Thirdly, Jainism laid too much emphasis on hard penance, austerity and self-mortification. As these high ideals were too difficult to be practised by the common people so they did not join Jainism en- masse.
Fourthly, in Jainism too much emphasis is laid.on Ahimsa. Even the unconscious killing of an ant while walking was considered a sin. Such strictness and rigidity, instead of drawing people closer to Jainism, kept them away. Fifthly, the rise of Buddhism with its simple principles, was one of the major reasons of waning popularity of Jainism. Sixthly, with the passage of time Jainism adopted some principles of Hinduism. As a consequence Jainism found it difficult to maintain its separate identity.
Question 14.
The Jain Sources.
Answer:
The Jain sources throw ample light on the history of ancient India. The Jains composed several religious texts. These texts were written in Prakrit or Ardhamagadhi which was the common language of communication at that time. Twelve Angas of the Jains are considered most important and sacred. These throw light on the life of Mahavira and principles of Jainism. There are 12 Upangas in Jainism. The 10 Prakirans of Jainism give information about the life of Mahavira and his sermons. The 6 Chedasutras describe the rules for the Jain monks. The 4 Mulasutras are considered valuable for Jain literature. They give us important information about the stories related to Jainism.
Question 15.
What is the legacy of the Jainism to the Indian Civilization?
Answer:
Jainism gave valuable contribution to the Indian Civilization in many fields. Mahavira condemned caste-system vigorously. He included people of all castes in his religion. He preached equality and universal brotherhood of mankind. Consequently, the widespread hatred in society was removed to a large extent. Jainism inspired people to lead a simple and pure life. Due to its efforts, many superstitions prevalent in society came to an end.
Being influenced by the increasing fame of Jainism, the leaders of Hinduism introduced necessary reforms into it. The scholars of Jainism wrote their scriptures in many languages. These scriptures are invaluable sources of Indian history. The Jains got built many significant and famous temples. As a result, Indian architecture got a new impetus. Jainism got built several inns, educational institutions and hospitals etc. for the welfare of the people, which exist even today. Jainism gave the message of peace. It was against wars. It had adverse effect on the politics of India.
Answer in One Word to One Sentence:
Question 1.
What is meant by the word ‘Jain’?
Answer:
Conqueror.
Question 2.
By what name was Jainism originally known?
Answer:
Nirgrantha.
Question 3.
What is meant by Nirgrantha?
Answer:
Freedom from bondage.
Question 4.
By what other name the Jain Acharyas are known?
Answer:
Tirthankaras.
Question 5.
What is meant by Tirthankara?
Answer:
Tirthankara means builder of the bridge or the Guru who ferries across the ocean of the world.
Question 6.
Jainism had how many Tirthankaras?
Answer:
24 Tirthankaras.
Question 7.
Who was the first Jain Tirthankara?
Or
Name the first Tirthankara in Jainism.
Answer:
Rishabanatha.
Question 8.
Who was the 23rd Tirathankara of Jainism?
Answer:
Parshavanatha.
Question 9.
Where was Swami Parshavanatha born?
Answer:
Banaras.
Question 10.
Who was Swami Parshavanatha’s father?
Answer:
Swami Parshavanatha’s father was king Ashavasena of Banaras.
Question 11.
At what age Swami Parshavanatha renounced his home?
Answer:
30 years.
Question 12.
For how long did Parshavanatha went into, austere meditation?
Answer:
83 days.
Question 13.
How many principles of conduct did Parshavanatha enunciate?
Answer:
He enunciated four principles.
Question 14.
What are the teachings of Parshavanatha called?
Answer:
Chatuiyama.
Question 15.
Mention any one principle of Swami Parshavanatha.
Answer:
Do not tell a lie.
Question 16.
For how many years Lord Parshavanatha preached?
Answer:
Lord Parshavanatha preached for 70 years.
Question 17.
When did Lord Parshavanatha attain Nirvana?
Answer:
777 B.C.
Question 18.
Who was the founder of Jainism and as Tirathankar what was his place?
Answer:
Mahavir Swami was the founder of Jainism and he was 24th Tirathankar.
Question 19.
Who was the last Tirthankara of the Jains?
Or
Who was the 24th Tirthankara of the Jains?
Answer:
Swami Mahavira.
Question 20.
When and where was Lord Mahavira born?
Answer:
599 B.C. at Kundagrama.
Question 21.
Who was the father of Lord Mahavira?
Answer:
Siddhartha.
Question 22.
What was the name of Lord Mahavira’s mother?
Answer:
Trishla.
Question 23.
How many dreams Trishla had before Lord Mahavira was born?
Answer:
14.
Question 24.
What was Lord Mahavira’s original name?
Answer:
Vardhmana.
Question 25.
To which clan did Lord Mahavira belong?
Answer:
Jantrika.
Question 26.
To whom was Lord Mahavira married?
Answer:
Yashoda.
Question 27.
What was the name of Mahavira’s daughter?
Answer:
Priyadarshana.
Question 28.
What was Mahavira’s age at the time of renunciation?
Answer:
30 years.
Question 29.
For how many years Lord Mahavira meditated?
Answer:
12 years.
Question 30.
When did Lord Mahavira attain enlightenment?
Answer:
At the age of 42.
Question 31.
What is meant by Kevala Jnana?
Answer:
Supreme truth.
Question 32.
For how long Lord Mahavira preached?
Answer:
30 years.
Question 33.
Mention any two famous centres of Mahavira’s preachings.
Answer:
Question 34.
When did Lord Mahavira attain Nirvana?
Answer:
527 B.C.
Question 35.
Where did Lord Mahavira attain Nirvana?
Answer:
Pava.
Question 36.
At what age Lord Mahavira attain Nirvana?
Answer:
72 years.
Question 37.
Give the main teaching of Jainism.
Answer:
It believed in Ahimsa.
Question 38.
With which religion Tri-Ratnas are associated?
Answer:
Tri-Ratnas are associated with Jainism.
Question 39.
Mention Jainism’s Tri-Ratnas.
Or
What are the Tri-Ratnas of Jainism?
Answer:
- Right faith,
- Right knowledge,
- Right conduct.
Question 40.
Who introduced the principle of Brahmacharya in Jainism?
Answer:
Lord Mahavira.
Question 41.
How many truths does Jainism admit?
Or
What are the basic elements of Jain philosophy?
Answer:
9.
Question 42.
Mention two truths of Jainism.
Answer:
Papa (Sin) and Punya (Virtue).
Question 43.
How is Atman designated in Jainism?
Answer:
Jiva.
Question 44.
What are the two forms of Ajiva in Jainism?
Answer:
Question 45.
What was the process which prevented Karma to come near the self?
Answer:
Samvara.
Question 46.
What is meant by Asarva?
Answer:
It is a process by which the soul accumulates the Karmas within.
Question 47.
What according to Jainism Pudgala mean?
Answer:
Elements or atoms.
Question 48.
According to jainism there are how many Karmas?
Answer:
8.
Question 49.
Mention any one type of Karmas mentioned by Jainism.
Answer:
Jnanavamiya Karma.
Question 50.
What according to Jain philosophy Jivd?
Answer:
Soul.
Question 51.
What according to Jain philosophy Ajiva mean?
Answer:
Inanimate.
Question 52.
How many types of violence are mentioned in Jain philosophy?
Answer:
108.
Question 53.
How many ways are for acquiring punya according to Jainism?
Answer:
42.
Question 54.
How many consequences one faces due to Papa (Vice)?
Answer:
It results in 82 consequences.
Question 55.
With which religion Anekantvad (manyness) is associated?
Answer:
It is related with Jainism.
Question 56.
According to Jainism how many Anuvartas man should observe in life?
Answer:
Man should observe five Anuvartas.
Question 57.
What according to Jainism Nirvana mean?
Answer:
Nirvana means freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Question 58.
Why is Jainism called atheism?
Answer:
It is because Jainism does not believe in the existence of God.
Question 59.
Who was the founder of Ajivika sect?
Answer:
Goshal.
Question 60.
What was the main principle of Ajivika?
Answer:
Ajivika believed in pre-determined destiny.
Question 61.
Mention two principal sects of Jains.
Answer:
- Digambaras,
- Shvetambaras.
Question 62.
What does Shvetambara mean?
Answer:
The sect that wore white clothes.
Question 63.
What does Digambara mean?
Answer:
One who remains naked.
Question 64.
Who was Lonka Sa?
Answer:
He was the leader of Lonka Sa sect of Jainism.
Question 65.
Who was the founder of Sthanakavasi sect?
Answer:
Viraji.
Question 66.
Who was the founder of Terapantha sect?
Answer:
Bhikhanji.
Question 67.
How many categories of members the Jain Sangha had?
Answer:
Four.
Question 68.
Who were not permitted to join Jain Sangha?
Answer:
Evil doers.
Question 69.
What were male and female Jain Sangha members called?
Answer:
Bhikshus and Bhikshunis.
Question 70.
What is the language of Jain Holy Texts?
Answer:
It is Prakrit or Ardhamaghdi.
Question 71.
Which is the holiest Jain scripture?
Answer:
Twelve Angas.
Question 72.
Mention any two Jain Angas.
Answer:
- Acharangasutra,
- Bhagvatisutra.
Question 73.
Which Jain Sutra prescribes rules for Jain monks?
Answer:
Acharangasutra.
Question 74.
How many Upangas Jain religion has?
Answer:
12 Upangas.
Question 75.
Who wrote Kalpasutra?
Answer:
Bhadrabahu.
Question 76.
What is the subject of Kalpasutra?
Answer:
It gives a detailed history of Lord Mahavira.
Question 77.
How many Chedasutras are in Jainism?
Answer:
Jainism has 6 Chedasutras.
Question 78.
How many Mulasutras Jainism has?
Answer:
4.
Question 79.
How many books on Digambara sect are available?
Answer:
Four.
Question 80.
Mention any one Digambara related books.
Answer:
Prathamanuyoga.
Fill in the Blanks :
1. Jainism was originally called …………….
Answer:
Nirgrantha
2. The total number of Jain Tirathankaras is ……………..
Answer:
24
3. The first Tirathankara of Jainism is …………….
Answer:
Rishabanatha
4. …………… was the 23rd Tirathankara of Jgjnism.
Answer:
Parshavanatha.
5. ………….. was the 24th and last Tirathankara of Jainism.
Answer:
Swami Mahavira.
6. Swami Mahavira was born in …………..
Answer:
599 B.C.
7. …………… was the mother of Swami Mahavira.
Answer:
Trishla.
8. Swami Mahavira’s mother had ………….. dreams before his birth.
Answer:
14.
9. The name of Swami Mahavira’s daughter was …………..
Answer:
Priyadarshana.
10. Mahavira was …………… years old at the time of enlightenment.
Answer:
42.
11. Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana in …………
Answer:
527 B.C.
12. Jainism believed in ……………. Ratans (Jewels).
Answer:
Three.
13 introduced the principle of Brahmacharya in Jainism.
Answer:
Lord Mahavira.
14. Jainism believed in …………… truths.
Answer:
nine.
15. According to Jainism, …………… is a process by which the soul accumulates the Karmas within.
Answer:
Asarava.
16. Jainism believed in …………….. types of Karmas.
Answer:
8.
17. Anekantvad is also called as …………..
Answer:
Sayadwad.
18. Jainism believed in observing ……………. Anuvartas.
Answer:
five.
19. According to Jain religion, the main aim of human life is the attainment of ………….
Answer:
Nirvana.
20. According to Jainism, Pudgala means …………….
Answer:
Atoms (elements).
21. The founder of Ajivika sect was …………..
Answer:
Goshal.
22. Ajivika sect believed in predetermined …………..
Answer:
destiny.
23. The sect that wore white clothes were called …………
Answer:
Shvetambara.
24. …………… was the leader of Lonka sect.
Answer:
Lonk Sa.
25. ………….. was the founder of Terapantha sect.
Answer:
Bhikhanji.
26. The chief of the Jain Sangha was called …………..
Answer:
Acharya.
27. Jain Religions has …………… Angas.
Answer:
12.
True Or False:
1. Jainism believes in 20 Tirathankars.
Answer:
False
2. The first Tirathankar of Jain religion was Vimala.
Answer:
False
3. Lord Parshavanatha was the 23rd Tirathankar of the Jainism.
Answer:
True
4. Lord Parshavanatha got enlightenment after 23 days of vigrous meditation.
Answer:
False
5. Swami Parshavanatha’s teachings are called Chaturyama.
Answer:
True
6. Lord Mahavira was the 24th Tirathankar of Jainism.
Answer:
True
7. Lord Mahavira was bom in 567 B.C.
Answer:
False
8. The childhood name of Swami Mahavira was Vardhmana.
Answer:
True
9. The name of the mother of Swami Mahavira was Mahamaya.
Answer:
False
10. Lord Mahavira was 42 years old at the time of enlightenment.
Answer:
True
11. Lord Mahavira got Nirvana at Pava.
Answer:
True
12. Jainism have belief in Tri-Ratnas.
Answer:
True
13. Jainism does not have faith in Ahimsa.
Answer:
False
14. Jain philosophy teaches that there are Nine Tatvas.
Answer:
True
15. In Jainism, three karmas are significant.
Answer:
False
16. According to Jain religion, a man should follow five Annuvartas in his life.
Answer:
True
17. According to Jain Religion, the main aim of human life is the attainment of Nirvana.
Answer:
True
18. Right knowledge is the foundation of right belief as per Jainism.
Answer:
True
19. The Jains give five types of knowledge.
Answer:
True
20. Jainism believes in eight types of violence.
Answer:
False
21. The word Jiva means Atman (soul) in Jain philosophy.
Answer:
True
22. There are 42 means of attaining Punya, according to Jaina philosphy.
Answer:
True
23. Jainism professes that there are 57 ways to stop the Karma.
Answer:
True
24. According to Jainism, man should follow five Annuvartas.
Answer:
True
25. The Ajivika sect believed in the principle of Niyati (luck).
Answer:
True
26. The founder of Taranapantha was Bhikanji.
Answer:
False
27. The founder of Sthanakavasi was Viraji.
Answer:
True
28. Of all the religious texts of the Jains, 12 Angas are considered to be the most important.
Answer:
True
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Jainism believed in how many Tirathankars?
(a) 20
(b) 23
(c) 24
(d) 25
Answer:
(c) 24
2. Who was the First Tirathankar?
(a) Parshavanatha
(b) Mahavira
(c) Vimala
(d) Rishabhanatha
Answer:
(d) Rishabhanatha
3. Who was 23rd Tirathankar of Jainism?
(a) Vimala
(b) Ananta
(c) Rishabhanatha
(d) Paeshavanatha
Answer:
(d) Paeshavanatha
4. Who was 24th Tirathankar?
(a) Abhinandana
(b) Mahavira
(c) Pushpadanta
(d) Ajita
Answer:
(b) Mahavira
5. When was Lord Mahavira born?
(a) 566 B.C.
(b) 567 B.C.
(c) 569 B.C.
(d) 599 B.C.
Answer:
(d) 599 B.C.
6. Where was Lord Mahavira born?
(a) Lumbini
(b) Kundagrama
(c) Kushinagra
(d) Kapila Vastu
Answer:
(b) Kundagrama
7. What was the name of the father of Lord Mahavira?
(a) Siddhartha
(b) Rahul
(c) Vardhamana
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Siddhartha
8. What was the name of Swami Mahavira’s mother?
(a) Trishala
(b) Yashodhara
(c) Mahamaya
(d) Prajapati Gautmi
Answer:
(a) Trishala
9. How many dreams were seen by Lord Mahavira’s mother before his birth?
(a) 8
(b) 10
(c) 12
(d) 14
Answer:
(d) 14
10. What was the childhood name of Lord Mahavira?
(a) Vardhmana
(b) Siddhartha
(c) Rahul
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Vardhmana
11. What was the age of Swami Mahavira at the time of enlightenment?
(a) 20 years
(b) 30 years
(c) 35 years
(d) 42 years
Answer:
(d) 42 years
12. Where was Swami Mahavira enlightened?
(a) Jrimbhikagrama
(b) Bodh Gaya
(c) Vaishali
(d) Kundagrama
Answer:
(a) Jrimbhikagrama
13. Which one of the following was not the preaching centres of Lord Mahavira?
(a) Rajgriha
(b) Vaishali
(c) Angla
(d) Purushpur
Answer:
(d) Purushpur
14. Where did Mahavira attain Nirvana?
(a) Videha
(b) Anga
(c) Rajgriha
(d) Pava
Answer:
(d) Pava
15. What was the age of Mahavira at the time of Nirvana?
(a) 60 years
(b) 62 years
(c) 72 years
(d) 80 years
Answer:
(c) 72 years
16. Which of the following religion believed in Tri-Ratana?
(a) Buddhism
(b) Jainism
(c) Islam
(d) Parsi.
Answer:
(b) Jainism
17. How many truths Jainism believed?
(a) 3
(b) 5
(c) 7
(d) 9
Answer:
(d) 9
18. According to Jainism, what is the main cause of the bondage of Jiva?
(a) Papa
(b) Asrava
(c) Moksha
(d) Ajiva
Answer:
(a) Papa
19. Which one of the following is not a preaching of Lord Mahavira?
(a) Belief in ahimsa
(b) Belief in karma philosophy
(c) Belief in equality
(d) Belief in God
Answer:
(d) Belief in God
20. Jainism believed in how many Anuvartas?
(a) 3
(b) 5
(c) 7
(d) 9
Answer:
(b) 5
21. How many types of violence are mentioned in Jain philosophy?
(a) 2
(b) 3
(c) 4
(d) 5
Answer:
(a) 2
22. Which element renders movement to the creatures and Pudgalas?
(a) Pudgala
(b) Dharma
(c) Adharma
(d) Papa
Answer:
(b) Dharma
23. Who was the founder of Ajivika sect?
(a) Goshala
(b) Swami Mahavira
(c) Veeraji
(d) BhikhanJi
Answer:
(a) Goshala
24. Which of the following sect is not associated with Jainism?
(a) Digambara
(b) Shvetambara
(c) Lonka
(d) Mahayana
Answer:
(d) Mahayana
25. Which of the following religious text is not associated with Jainism?
(a) Deepvansha
(b) Kalpasutra
(c) Bhagvati Sutra
(d) Aacharanga Sutra
Answer:
(a) Deepvansha
