Jain Agamas

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Scriptures on ahimsa (non-violence), karma, the soul and asceticism. The Digambara sect holds that the original Agamas were lost.

Traditional attribution

The teachings of Mahavira, compiled by his chief disciples (Gandharas).

Historical scholarship

The Svetambara canon was written down at the Council of Valabhi.

Context and curiosity

Some Jain monks sweep the ground before them to avoid harming insects.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Jainism & Sikhism (India). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as taught c. 6th–5th century BCE; written c. 453–466 CE and original language or script as Ardhamagadhi Prakrit. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

Continue exploring

Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain_Agamas

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.