Table Of ContentThe SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social
Science Perspectives
Jainism
Contributors: Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
Edited by: Paul Joseph
Book Title: The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
Chapter Title: "Jainism"
Pub. Date: 2017
Access Date: May 6, 2017
Publishing Company: SAGE Publications, Inc.
City: Thousand Oaks,
Print ISBN: 9781483359892
Online ISBN: 9781483359878
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483359878.n345
Print pages: 936-913
©2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
This PDF has been generated from SAGE Knowledge. Please note that the pagination of
the online version will vary from the pagination of the print book.
SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.
The word Jainism derives from the root word jin, which means “to conquer.” Jainism, one of
the oldest religions, was founded in India and traces its history through a succession of 24
tirthankaras (“propagators of faith”), with Adinath as the first and Mahavira as the last. This
entry discusses the history of Jainism and describes its beliefs toward violence and war.
Core Values of Jainism
Mahavira, born in 599 CE, was the historical founder of Jainism. He revived the philosophy of
eternity, propagated by the previous 23 tirthankaras, and founded a religion. No other religion
in the world identifies itself more closely with nonviolence toward all living beings than
Jainism. This religion prescribes nonviolence and self-control, by which Jains believe that they
can attain liberation. Jainism does not have a totally monochrome view toward nonviolence.
Violence and killing are not the same in Jainism. An individual might inadvertently destroy
minute living beings, yet not be deemed responsible for committing himsa (“violence”).
The core ethical values of Jainism can be expressed in the phrase Ahimsa paramo dharmah:
“Practicing nonviolence is the supreme form of religion.” For a Jain believer, nonviolence is the
virtue of the virtues, and enactment to it is the greatest form of heroism. Ahimsa
(“nonviolence”), in Jainism, is motivated by these two arguments: first, violence leads to
unwanted results, and second, all living beings are essentially the same. Moreover, Acharya
Hemachandra, a Gujarati Jain teacher of the 12th century, says that all disciplinary and
religious practices are useless until violence is abandoned.
The Concept of War and Ahimsa in Jainism
Among many principles, ahimsa (“nonviolence”) and daya (“kindness toward living beings”)
are the most essential. Ahimsa does not mean the mere abstention from killing but it includes
any other kind of violence—intentional or unintentional—that may cause injury to all living
beings. A Jain monk undertakes mahavratas (“great vows”), and a layperson practices pancha
anuvratas (“five small vows”), and both these vows compulsorily include ahimsa.
Nonkilling or nonviolence of any kind looks as if it would be a difficult or even impossible
principle to follow in day-to-day life. The Jain monks, for example, put muhapati (“a mouth
cloth”) on their faces to prevent small organisms from entering into the mouth and getting
killed. Since such practices are not feasible while performing daily chores, Jainism provides
three gunavratas (“virtue vows”) in addition to the five small vows for a layperson. These
include bans on imparting war-teachings and on possessing weapons. But Jain texts permit
virodhi himsa (“self-defense”) for the followers, an injury caused by a person either defending
oneself or others or defending one’s land or religion. The text also gives reference to
samkalpi, arambhi, and udyogi himsa, and instructs that samkalpi himsa (“committed
violence”) should be avoided at any cost. However, when violence is unavoidable then people
are advised to be discreet and show restraint. While doing your work, Jain texts advise to do it
as humanely as you can; for example, it is the duty of the king to hang the murderer, and
similarly, the soldiers are supposed to kill the enemies in the battlefield. The udyogi himsa
(“professional or occupational violence”) thus remains mostly an unavoidable type of act of
violence. The concept of war is always defensive and never offensive in Jainism.
War, Warriors, and Tirthankaras (“the Monks”) in Jainism
Page 2 of 4 The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.
Jain myths inform that all the tirthankaras (the monks) were Ksatriyas, the “warrior caste.” This
religion always glorifies this caste over others, and advocates that they are superior to other
people in the world. Rishabhdev, the first tirthankara, used to teach martial art to the people.
His son Bharata was the first Chakravarti (“Emperor”) king of India for he subdued all the
other rulers of India. Out of 24 tirthankaras, 4 were Chakravarti kings. The 22nd tirthankara,
Neminath, was the cousin of the Hindu god Krishna. There was an incidence when Krishna
was away, then he became the commander of the Yadavs’ army and defeated Jarasandh.
Similarly, Pasharwa Nath, the 23rd tirthankara, helped the Naga king to defeat his enemy. The
Jain texts prescribe the kings to do their duties, such as to rule the country, to protect the
distressed, and to wage war. If a king does not maintain an army, he fails in his duty. But if a
king commits violence knowingly then it is a sin. Thus, fighting in war or killing in war is an act
or duty that is neither good nor bad.
Though Jainism prescribes violence in war, anyone who does killing cannot escape from the
mental agony. There were great generals, such as Buchana, Baladeva, Manichandra, and
Singana, who took the vow of sallekhana (“to leave food”) and ended themselves. This act is
described in Jain texts as prayaschit, “a kind of atonement,” for the deeds they did in their
youth. This prayaschit act should not be confused with the Western concept of suicide.
Furthermore, lawsuits have been brought against Jain believers in India for practicing fasting
to death. This religion is also radically different from Hinduism or Islam where a warrior who
dies during fighting goes to heaven and enjoys heavenly bliss. Jainism believes that God
does not bless the hero or fighter and shower any divine grace on human beings. This
religion finds the idea of damsels carrying human souls to heaven ridiculous, and it advocates
that it is only through one’s acts that anyone can attain liberation. However, few hero-stones
mentioned the names of kings and generals who went to heaven.
Jainism Practices and Other Religions
Jainism has survived many repressions. In one such incident in Madurai, Hindu devotees to
Shiva murdered 8,000 Jain believers in the 8th century. Islam, during the Mughal Empire, also
had a history of conflict with Jainism. Although Mughal Emperor Akbar, being impressed by
the monk Hirvijaya in 1547, ordered banning on slaughter during the Jain sacred month, his
great-grandson Aurangzeb desecrated and converted a Jain temple into a mosque.
Following Jainism is not easy, as its principles and practices require extreme behaviors. Any
Jain believers cannot be on agreeable terms with nonvegetarians. Other religions, such as
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, are stigmatized by the followers of Jainism for promoting
violence. Since not many popular and populous religions follow vegetarianism as strictly and
ardently as Jainism, this religion is excluded and often ridiculed by the others. There is also a
conflict in Jainism. The two sects—Swetambara and Digambara—do not communicate with
each other; they also do not hold marriages and other cultural rituals with each other.
Digambaras do not allow women into their sangha (“religious community”) whereas
Swetambaras allow them to take ascetic vows to become nuns. The founder of Jainism,
Mahavira, says that women are the greatest temptation in the world. One should not converse
with them, not look at them, nor claim them as his own, nor do their work.
See alsoIndia; Religion and War
Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483359878.n345
10.4135/9781483359878.n345
Page 3 of 4 The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.
Further Readings
Hinnells, John R., and Richard King. Religion and Violence in South Asia: Theory and
Practice. London: Routledge, 2007.
Jain, Sushil. “Jaina View of War, Warrior and Violence.” Itihaas: Indian History Resources.
http://itihaas.tripod.com/jainism/war.html (Accessed May 2, 2014).
Murphy, Andrew R. The Blackwell Companion to Religion and Violence. Chichester, UK:
Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
Rosenfield, Clare, and Linda Segall. “Ahisma Is Not a Religion . . . It Is a Way of Life.” Jainism
Literature Center. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/ahimsa/ahimsacr.htm
(Accessed May 21, 2014).
Sanglikar, Mahaveer. “Jainism and War: Practical Views of Jainism on Defense.” HubPages.
http://jainismus.hubpages.com/hub/jaindare (Accessed May 21, 2014).
W a b a s h C e n t e r. “Jainism.”
http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/syllabi/g/gier/306/jainism.htm (Accessed May 21,
2014).
Page 4 of 4 The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
