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Kausagga
A motionless state of body, as if the soul has departed from it.
Kayotsarga
Abandonment of the body, a standing or sitting posture of meditation.
Kevaldarshan
Infinite vision and perception.? After acquiring it, the cycle of births and deaths is broken forever.? Any soul can attain it, by getting rid of karmas, attachments and hatreds.? With it comes kevalgnan, infinite Dhariya, Tapa and Veerya.
Kevaldarshi
One who has kevalgnan.
Kevalin/gnani
One who has kevalgnan.? Synonym for arhat.
Kevangnan
Infinite knowledge.? Knowledge isolated from karmic obstruction.? Omniscience.? Knowledge involving awareness of every existent in all its qualities and modes.
Khamana
Homages, or salutations.
Khamasamano
Forgiving Gurudev.
Krodha
Anger.
Kshama
Forgiveness.
Kshetra
An area, site or location where humans exist.? Each kshetra has four more similar counterparts.
Ksullaka
Minor.? A junior monk.? A Jaina layman on the eleventh pratima.? One who wears three pieces of clothing.
Kumara-sramana
A life-long celibate.
Logassa
(Masters) of the entire universe.
Loguttama
Supreme.
Maharaj Saheb
'King, sir'. A title used for sadhus, to indicate respect.
Mahavideha
Name of a kshetra.? Twenty Tirthankaras currently exist there, deeming it the most sacred kshetra.
Mahavir
Twenth-fourth Tirthankara in this ara of the time cycle. His name means 'The most courageous one.' Mahavir was an actual historical figure who lived some time between 599-527 BCE. He was a contemporary of another great spiritual teacher--Gautama Sakyamuni--who would come to be known in history as Buddha. According to most accounts, Mahavira was also a high-born member of a warrior caste who renounced the world when he was thirty to pursue a life as an ascetic. His moment of enlightenment came after twelve years of spiritual pursuit. He then gathered twelve disciples around him, and it is through these disciples that his teachings were eventually documented and disseminated.
Mahavrat
A vow that is much stricter than an Anuvrat.? Only those who take diksha will take on these vows (i.e. sadhus and sadhvis).? There are five mahavrats- namely ahimsa, anekantvaad, aparigraha, asteya and brahmacharya.
Mangal/Mangalam
Destroyer of sins.? Auspicious.
Mantra
A prayer with strong psychological powers.
Maun
Silence.
Michchhami
'I wish.'
Mohaniya
A ghati karma that obstructs the capacity of soul to think properly.
Moksha
The state of freedom, for a soul, from the cycle of birth and death.
Muktishila
The topmost area of the universe, the area of freedom.? After death, a liberated soul rises to it, and never comes back into the cycle of birth and death.? Every soul that exists there is Kevalgnani, Kevaldarshi and has infinite dhariya, tapa and veerya.
Muni
One who keeps maun.? He only observes, without praising or complaining.
Naam
An aghati karma that determines the body
Namaskara mantra
Reverent salutation to the five holy beings- arihants, siddhas, acharyas, upadhayas and sadhus/sadhvis.? A prayer consisting of nine lines, which is the most meaningful of all Jain prayers in that it allows the follower to pay homage to all teachers.
Namoththunam
Expression of respect to the virtuous gurus.
Naraki
Hell beings.
Nigoda
The lowest form of life.
Nirjara
Dissociation of karma.? One of the nine tattvas.
Nitya
Eternal.
Niyati
Fate.
Niyativada
Fatalism.
Om
Sacred sound formed by combining the first syllable of each word in the namaskara mantra.
Pachchakhan
Formality for taking a vow.
Pad
Poem
Panch
Five
Panch kalyana
The five auspicious events in the life of a Tirthankara.
Panchendriya
Souls with five senses, namely touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.
Pani patra
Hand-bowl.
Pannato
Spoken, or taught.
Papa
Unwholesome karmas.
Paramanu
Atom.
Paramataman
The highest liberated soul.
Parasparopagraho Jivanam
'Souls render service to one another.' From Tattvartha Sutra 1: 4: 1.
Parigrahatyaga-pratima
The ninth stage in which a layman abandons the cares of worldly possessions.
Parvan
Jaina holy days.
Paryushan-parva
A ten-day holy period for fasting during the rainy season (usually August or September).
Pavazzami
'I seek.'
Phala
Fruit.
Poshadh
A day chosen by a householder to live like a muni.
Pratikraman
Going back to the original virtues (of soul), which are: compassion, peace, even-temperament, forgiveness, etc.
Pratima
Stages of renunciation for a layman.
Pudgala
Matter
Puja
Worship
Pumveda
Sexual cravings for a female.
Pundarik
The best lotus.
Punya karma
Wholesome karma.
Puranas
Name of a class of sacred texts dealing with the lives of Tirthankaras.
Purva
A group of fourteen Jaina canonical texts, now extinct.
Pushakarvar
Name of a dweep.? Only half of it is used for living.
Raga
Desire.? Passion.? Attachment.
Rajlok
Geographical term. The universe is divided into 14 Rajloks, consisting of hells, dweeps, heavens, etc.
Sadhu/sahoo
A male who has given up the family life, wealth and worldly comforts for seeking liberation.? He learns scriptures religiously.
Sadhvi/ji
A female who has given up the family life, wealth and worldly comforts for seeking liberation.? She learns scriptures religiously.? Sadhvi Shilapiji is the only Jain sadhvi to ever study outside of India.? She is currently pursuing her PhD at Oxford, in England.
Salekhana
Voluntary and controlled fasting to death.? This is a very misunderstood and controversial concept in Jainism.? It is believed that in 420 BCE, Mahavir engaged in salekhana.
Samavasarana
Holy assembly of the Jina.
Samaya
Moment.
Samayik
State of calmness and sinlessness of mind and speech.? Usually 48 minutes for householders and a lifetime for sadhus and sadhvis.
Samiti
Five areas of caution: walking, speaking, taking food, handling materials and discarding excretion.
Samkalpaja-himsa
Intentional, premeditated violence.
Samkeet
Awakening of the soul to the right path.? Once a soul has samkeet, he gets liberated within a few incarnations.
Samsara
Cycle of transmigration for all non-liberated souls.
Samurchchhin
A small human-like life, of bacterial size, residing inside our human bodies.? It can be born spontaneously, by itself.
Samvar
Stoppage of the influx of karmas.? One of the nine tattvas.
Sangh
Fourfold society, as founded by a Tirthankara, consisting of male and female sadhus and householders who follow the principles of Jainism.? Establishing a sangh is what distinguishes a regular kevali from a tirthankar (a kevali who establishes a sangh).
Santharo
Peaceful, voluntary and planned religious death.
Sanvibhag
Sharing equally, with love and respect.
Sanyast-ashrama
Life as a monk, a period of renunciation.? This is the fourth of four stages that a Jain shravak and shravika are recommended to pass through in his or her lifetime.
Sharanam
Shelter.
Shikshavrat
Four vows, which prepare and train a householder for the eventual muni life.
Shravak/ji
Male householder, following the principles of Jainism.
Shravika
Female householder, following the principles of Jainism.
Shri
A prefix used to indicate respect.
Siddha
One who has achieved complete liberation from cycles of births and deaths, and now in muktishila.
Stavara
Immobile beings, such as plants.
Sthapana
Ritual act of asking a monk to stop for alms.
Sutra
A scripture written in the ancient Ardhamaghdhi language.
Svetambara
White, cotton-clad.? Name of a Jaina sect whose medicants wear white garments.
Tapa
Penance which contributes to the destruction of karmas.? A pure soul has infinite tapa.
Tassa
For (my blemished soul).
Tattva
The nine 'reals', regarded as objects of faith for a Jaina.
Teindriya
Lives with three senses, namely touch, taste and smell.
Tikhkhooto
Three times.
Tirthankara
'Builders of the ford.'?? One who reestablishes the religion and fourfold society system of Sadhus, Sadhvis, Shravaks and Shravikas.
Upadhyay/ji
A sadhu who learned, mastered and now teaches religious scriptures.
Uttari
Upliftment or elevation.