View source for Religion:Arihant (Jainism)

{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
[[File:Lord Risbabhdev moving over golden lotus after attaining Omniscience.jpg|thumb|Sculpture depicitng [[Biography:Rishabhanatha|Rishabhanatha]], the first Arihant of the present half cycle of time (''avasarpini'') moving over lotus after attaining omniscience.]]
'''''Arihant''''' ({{lang-pka|arihant|italic=yes}}, {{lang-sa|árhat|italic=yes}} "conqueror") is a [[Philosophy:Soul|soul]] who has conquered inner passions such as attachment, anger, pride and greed. Having destroyed four inimical karmas, they realize pure self.{{sfn|Sangave|2001|p=15}} ''Arihants'' are also called ''kevalins'' ([[Philosophy:Omniscience|omniscient]] beings) as they possess ''kevala jnana'' (pure infinite knowledge).{{sfn|Sangave|2001|p=16}}{{sfn|Sangave|2001|p=164}} An ''arihant'' is also called a '''''jina''''' ("victor"). At the end of their life, ''arihants'' destroy remaining ''[[Unsolved:Karma in Jainism|karmas]]'' and attain ''moksha'' (liberation) and become ''siddhas''. ''Arihantas'' have a body while ''siddhas'' are bodiless pure spirit. The [[Religion:Namokar Mantra|Ṇamōkāra mantra]], the fundamental prayer dedicated to ''[[Religion:Pañca-Parameṣṭhi|Pañca-Parameṣṭhi]]'' (five supreme beings), begins with ''Ṇamō arihantāṇaṁ'', "obeisance to the arihants".

''Kevalins'' - omniscient beings - are said to be of two kinds{{sfn|Sangave|2001|p=16}}
# ''[[Religion:Tirthankara|Tirthankara]] kevalī'':  24 human spiritual guides who after attaining omniscience teach the path to salvation.{{sfn|Rankin|2013|p=40}}
# ''Sāmānya kevalī'': ''Kevalins'' who are concerned with their own liberation.

According to Jains, every soul has the potential to become an ''arihant''. A soul which destroys all ''kashayas'' or inner enemies like [[Social:Anger|anger]], ego, [[Social:Deception|deception]], and [[Philosophy:Greed|greed]], responsible for the perpetuation of ignorance, becomes an ''arihant''.{{sfn|Sangave|2001|p=15}} 

== Philosophy ==
According to Jain texts, [[Philosophy:Omniscience|omniscience]] is attained on the destruction of four types of ''karmas''– deluding, the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring and the obstructive ''karmas'', in the order mentioned.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reality|last=Jain|first=S.A.|year=1960|publisher=Vira Sasana Sangha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uRIaAAAAMAAJ |quote=Non-Copyright |p=282}}</ref> The ''arihants'' are said to be free from the following eighteen imperfections:{{sfn|Jain|2014|p=3}}

# ''janma'' – (re)birth;
# ''jarā'' – old-age;
# ''triśā'' – thirst;
# ''kśudhā'' – hunger;
# ''vismaya'' – astonishment;
# ''arati'' – displeasure;
# ''kheda'' – regret;
# ''roga'' – sickness;
# ''śoka'' – grief;
# ''mada'' – pride;
# ''moha'' – delusion;
# ''bhaya'' – fear;
# ''nidrā'' – sleep;
# ''cintā'' – anxiety;
# ''sveda'' – perspiration;
# ''rāga'' – attachment;
# ''dveśa'' – aversion; and
# ''maraņa'' – death.

=== Omniscience ===
[[File:Kevalajnana.jpg|thumb|Kevala Jñāna of Mahavira]]
In Jainism, omniscience is said to be the infinite, all-embracing knowledge that reflects, as it were in a mirror, all substances and their infinite modes, extending through the past, the present and the future.{{sfn|Jain|2014|p=2}} According to Jain texts, omniscience is the natural attribute of the pure souls. The self-attaining omniscience becomes a ''kevalin''.

The four infinitudes (''ananta cātuṣṭaya'') are:{{sfn|Jain|2014|p=3}} 
# ''ananta jñāna'', infinite knowledge
# ''ananta darśana'', perfect perception due to the destruction of all darśanāvaraṇīya karmas
# ''ananta sukha'', infinite bliss
# ''ananta vīrya'' – infinite energy

== Tirthankaras ==
{{Main|Religion:Tirthankara}}
[[File:Vardhaman Keezhakuyilkudi.jpg|thumb|right|Image of ''Vardhaman Mahāvīra'', the 24th and last tirthankara of present half time cycle]]
Those ''arihants'' who re-establish the Jain faith are called ''tirthankaras''. ''Tirthankaras'' revitalize the ''[[Religion:Sangha (Jainism)|sangha]]'', the fourfold order consisting of male saints (''[[Philosophy:Sadhu|sādhu]]s''), female saints (''sādhvis''), male householders (''[[Religion:Śrāvaka (Jainism)|śrāvaka]]'') and female householders (''srāvika'').

The first ''tirthankara ''of the current time cycle was [[Biography:Rishabhanatha|Ṛṣabhanātha]], and the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara was Mahavira, who lived from 599 BCE to 527 BCE.

[[File:Samavasarana.jpg|thumb|Samavasarana (divine preaching hall) where omniscient ''Arihantas'' preach]]

Jain texts mention forty-six attributes of ''arihants'' or ''tirthankaras''. These attributes comprise four infinitudes (''ananta chatushtaya''), thirty-four miraculous happenings (''atiśaya''), and eight splendours (''prātihārya'').{{sfn|Jain|2014|p=3}}

The eight splendours (''prātihārya'') are:{{sfn|Jain|2013|p=181}}
# ''aśokavrikśa'' – the Ashoka tree;
#  ''siṃhāsana''– bejeweled throne;
#  ''chatra'' – three-tier canopy;
#  ''bhāmadal'' – halo of unmatched luminance;
#  ''divya dhvani'' – divine voice of the Lord without lip movement;
#  ''puśpavarśā'' – shower of fragrant flowers;
#  ''camara'' – waving of sixty-four majestic hand-fans; and
#  ''dundubhi'' – dulcet sound of kettle-drums and other musical instruments.

== Liberation ==
At the time of ''nirvana'' (final release), the ''arihant'' sheds off the remaining four ''aghati karmas'':
# ''Nama'' (physical structure forming) karma
# ''[[Social:Gotra|Gotra]]'' (status forming) karma,
# ''Vedniya'' (pain and pleasure causing) karma,
# ''Ayushya'' (life span determining) karma.

These four karmas do not affect the true nature of the soul and are therefore called ''aghati karmas''.

== Worship ==
[[File:Hatigumfa.jpg|thumb|Hathigumpha inscription of King Khāravela at Udayagiri Caves, second Century BCE, starts with Namokar Mantra ]]
In the Ṇamōkāra mantra, ''Namo Arihantanam, Namo Siddhanam'', Jains worship the arihants first and then to the ''siddhas'', even though the latter are perfected souls who have destroyed all karmas but arihants are considered to be at a higher spiritual stage than ''siddhas''. Since ''siddhas'' have attained ultimate liberation, they probably are not directly accessible but may be through the wisdom they passed on. However arihants are accessible for spiritual guidance of human society until their nirvana. The ''[[Religion:Dravyasamgraha|Dravyasaṃgraha]]'', a major [[Religion:Jain literature|Jain text]], states:
{{quote|Having destroyed the four inimical varieties of karmas (''ghātiyā karmas''), possessed of infinite faith, happiness, knowledge and power, and housed in most auspicious body (''paramaudārika śarīra''), that pure soul of the World Teacher (Arihant) should be meditated on.|''{{IAST|Dravyasaṃgraha}}'' (50){{sfn|Jain|2013|p=177}}}}

==See also==
*[[Religion:God in Jainism|God in Jainism]]
*Śramaṇa
*Simandhar Swami
*[[Unsolved:Jainism and non-creationism|Jainism and non-creationism]]
*[[Philosophy:Jain philosophy|Jain philosophy]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* {{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r5opAwAAQBAJ|title=Acarya Pujyapada's Istopadesa – the Golden Discourse|isbn=9788190363969|author1=Jain|first1=Vijay K|date=2014-03-26}}
*{{citation
|last=Sangave
|first=Vilas Adinath
|title=Aspects of Jaina religion
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I8RUPwAACAAJ
|edition=3
|year=2001
|publisher=Bharatiya Jnanpith
|isbn=81-263-0626-2}}
*{{citation
|last=Rankin
|first=Aidan
|title=Living Jainism: An Ethical Science
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQxZAQAAQBAJ
|year=2013
|publisher=John Hunt Publishing
|isbn=978-1780999111
|chapter=Chapter 1. Jains Jainism and Jainness}}
*{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g9CJ3jZpcqYC|title=Ācārya Nemichandra's Dravyasaṃgraha|isbn=9788190363952|last1=Jain|first1=Vijay K.|year=2013|quote=Non-copyright}}

== External links ==

[[Category:God in Jainism]]

{{Sourceattribution|Arihant (Jainism)|1}}