णमो अरिहंताणं
Ṇamo Arihantāṇaṃ
I bow to the Arihants, who have conquered their inner enemies and attained omniscience.
Jainism · Acharya Umaswati
Tattvartha Sutra
The one text accepted by Digambara and Svetambara Jains alike: the whole Jain path in short Sanskrit sutras.
सम्यग्दर्शनज्ञानचारित्राणि मोक्षमार्गः
Awaiting review by a scholar of this tradition. Original texts are public domain; the plain meanings and notes are written by IndiaDigital and are being checked. We describe what each tradition teaches, in its own terms, and never rank faiths. Report a correction
About the Tattvartha Sutra
The Tattvartha Sutra, 'the book on the meaning of the realities', was composed by Acharya Umaswati, whom Digambara Jains call Umaswami; scholars place him somewhere between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE, and the dates are debated. It is the first Jain text written in Sanskrit, and it gathers the core of Jain teaching into short aphorisms (sutras). Both Digambara and Svetambara Jains accept it, and Digambaras also call it the Moksha Shastra. Its ten chapters cover right faith, knowledge and conduct; souls; the worlds; celestial beings; non-soul substances; the inflow of karma; vows; bondage; the stopping and shedding of karma; and liberation. The Digambara and Svetambara recensions differ slightly in wording and in the number of sutras; this page follows the Digambara text of 357 sutras, as preserved with Pujyapada's commentary Sarvarthasiddhi.
The Navkar (Namokar) Mantra
The Navkar Mantra, also called the Namokar or Namaskar Mantra, is the most important prayer for all Jains, Digambara and Svetambara alike. It salutes the five supreme beings (Panch Parameshthi): the Arihants, the Siddhas, the Acharyas, the Upadhyayas and all Sadhus, and Jains stress that it honours these virtues and spiritual states, not particular persons. It is in Prakrit, and printings differ slightly, for example णमो or नमो, 'लोए सव्व साहूणं' or 'लोए सव्वसाहूणं', and हवइ or होइ in the last line, while some recite only the first five lines; the text below follows a common Digambara-style printing.
णमो सिद्धाणं
Ṇamo Siddhāṇaṃ
I bow to the Siddhas, the liberated souls free of all karma.
णमो आइरियाणं
Ṇamo Āiriyāṇaṃ
I bow to the Acharyas, the leaders of the order who guide others on the path.
णमो उवज्झायाणं
Ṇamo Uvajjhāyāṇaṃ
I bow to the Upadhyayas, who teach the scriptures.
णमो लोए सव्व साहूणं
Ṇamo Loe Savva Sāhūṇaṃ
I bow to all the Sadhus in the world.
एसो पंच णमोक्कारो
Eso Pañca Ṇamokkāro
This fivefold salutation
सव्व पावप्पणासणो
Savva Pāvappaṇāsaṇo
destroys all wrongdoing,
मंगलाणं च सव्वेसिं
Maṅgalāṇaṃ Ca Savvesiṃ
and of all auspicious things
पढमं हवइ मंगलं
Paḍhamaṃ Havai Maṅgalaṃ
it is the first and foremost.
Ten chapters
Chapter 1 · 33 sutras
Right faith and knowledge
The text opens with the path to moksha, liberation from the cycle of birth and death: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, togeth…
Chapter 2 · 53 sutrasThe soul (jiva)
This chapter describes the jiva, the living soul, whose defining mark is upayoga, active consciousness. It lists the soul's five kinds of st…
Chapter 3 · 39 sutrasThe lower and middle worlds
This chapter gives the Jain picture of the lower and middle parts of the universe (loka). Below lie seven hellish earths, where, in Jain tea…
Chapter 4 · 42 sutrasCelestial beings
This chapter describes the devas, celestial beings who, in Jain teaching, are still worldly souls bound by karma (subtle matter attached to …
Chapter 5 · 42 sutrasNon-soul substances (ajiva)
This chapter explains ajiva, all that is not soul: the medium of motion (dharma), the medium of rest (adharma), space, matter (pudgala) and …
Chapter 6 · 27 sutrasInflow of karma (asrava)
This chapter explains asrava, the inflow of karma into the soul. In Jain teaching, karma is a subtle matter drawn in by the activity (yoga) …
Chapter 7 · 39 sutrasVows
This chapter teaches the five vows: non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession. Householders keep them i…
Chapter 8 · 26 sutrasBondage of karma (bandha)
This chapter explains bandha, the bondage of karma to the soul. Its causes are wrong belief, lack of restraint, carelessness, passions and a…
Chapter 9 · 47 sutrasStopping and shedding karma
This chapter explains samvara, the stopping of new karma, and nirjara, the shedding of karma already bound. Samvara comes through restraint,…
Chapter 10 · 9 sutrasLiberation (moksha)
The last chapter describes moksha, liberation. When deluding karma and then the other obscuring karmas are destroyed, the soul gains kevala …
Quick quiz
According to the first sutra, what makes up the path to liberation?
How many tattvas (realities) does the Tattvartha Sutra list?
How many kinds of knowledge does the text describe?
What does 'parasparopagraho jivanam' mean?
What is a vow kept partially by a householder called?
How does the text define violence (himsa)?
How many virtues of dharma, such as forgiveness and humility, does chapter 9 list?
In Jain teaching, where does a liberated soul go?
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Sanskrit sutras: Sanskrit Wikisource (public domain), with clear digitisation errors corrected and listed in our build notes. Meanings, summaries and Navkar text: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by Digambara and Svetambara scholars. Sutra counts follow the Digambara recension; Svetambara texts number some sutras differently.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .