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Jain literature (Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas, which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit (Middle-Indo Aryan) language.
The Tattvartha Sutra is regarded as one of the earliest, most authoritative book on Jainism, and the only text authoritative in both the Digambara and Śvētāmbara sects, [13] and its importance in Jainism is comparable with that of the Brahma Sutras and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Hinduism.
The Ācārāṅga Sūtra, the foremost and oldest Jain text (First book c. 5th–4th century BCE; Second book c. Late 4th–2nd century BCE), [1] is the first of the twelve Angas, part of the agamas which were compiled based on the teachings of 24th Tirthankara Mahavira.
Samayasāra expounds the Jain concepts like Karma, Asrava (influx of karmas), Bandha (Bondage), Samvara (stoppage), Nirjara (shedding) and Moksha (complete annihilation of karmas). A modern English translation was published by Vijay K. Jain in 2022. [2]
Uttaradhyayana or Uttaradhyayana Sutra is one of the most important sacred books of Jains. It consists of 36 chapters, each of which deals with aspects of Jain doctrine and discipline. It is believed by some to contain the actual words of Bhagwan Mahavira (599/540 - 527/468 BCE) - the 24th Tirthankara in Jainism.
The Kalpa Sūtra (Sanskrit: कल्पसूत्र) is a Jain text containing the biographies of the Jain Tirthankaras, notably Parshvanatha and Mahavira. [1] Traditionally ascribed to Bhadrabahu , which would place it in the 4th century BCE, [ 2 ] it was probably put in writing 980 or 993 years after the Nirvana ( Moksha ) of Mahavira.
The author expounds on many philosophies which existed in the Jain classics, which are eloquently and skillfully interpreted in the work. It is also believed to contain valuable information about various sciences including mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, medicine, history, etc. Karlamangalam Srikantaiah, the editor of the first edition, has claimed that the work contains ...
On the other hand, Acarya Hemachandra's Parishishtaparva, also known as Sthaviravali (stories on the lives of elders or Jain patriarchs), contains detailed information as to how the knowledge of the Purvas was lost. Bhadrabahu Svami was the last person to have the knowledge of the entire 14 Purvas.