Jainism

One hypothesis I have is as follows: Hinduism is a sect of Jainism, Jainism is most ancient religion in India. Jainism places a central emphasis on ahimsa (non-violence) as a fundamental vow. However, all vows across different Yugas were difficult for laypeople to uphold. This raises the question: where should laypeople draw the line? Hinduism addresses this dilemma, and the Bhagavad Gita provides clarity for the common person, explaining that it is sometimes acceptable to kill when there is excessive adharma (unrighteousness). Hindu mythology frequently depicts the gods killing the asuras —beings who, although they performed all rituals correctly, were corrupted by excessive desires such as ego, greed, lust, and violence. On the material plane (Bhu-loka), Narayana (or the gods) are shown destroying these asuras , similar to their actions in other realms like Swarga , Vaikuntha , Kailasa , and so on. The act of killing in these stories is symbolic. The asuras represent spiri...

Chapter 6.4 of Acharya Hemachandra's  Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra  (Lives of Sixty-Three Great Men), titled  Subhūma-cakravartin-caritra , narrates the life story and rise to power of Subhūma, the eighth universal monarch ( cakravartin ) in the Jain tradition. The chapter's central theme is a narrative of revenge against Parshuram, which differs significantly from the well-known Hindu Puranic accounts. Summary of the Chapter The  Subhūma-cakravartin-caritra  details the dramatic conflict between the Brahmin warrior-sage Parshuram and the Kshatriya prince Subhūma, a story that establishes Subhūma as a  cakravartin . [ 1 ] The Context of Conflict:  The story begins with Parshuram killing King Sahasrarjun (Subhūma's father), who is generally identified with the Haihaya king Kārtavīrya Arjuna. [ 1 ] Subhūma's Birth and Upbringing:  The pregnant queen of Sahasrarjun successfully flees the capital and takes shelter in a sage's  ashram . She eventually gives birth to a son...

Hindu sects:

In Jainism, omniscience (Kevala Jnana) is indeed attained prior to full moksha (liberation). It marks the destruction of all ghati karmas (knowledge-obscuring, etc.), allowing infinite knowledge, but the soul remains embodied until the exhaustion of aghati karmas, after which moksha occurs. This happens across the final Gunasthanas (spiritual stages), specifically from the end of stage 12 into stages 13 and 14. Below, I'll explain the mapping of these stages to the Pancha Parameshthi categories (the five supreme beings worthy of veneration: Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sadhu), based on how the Gunasthanas reflect levels of spiritual purity and roles. Then, I'll address the sermon aspect. ### Mapping Gunasthanas to Pancha Parameshthi Categories The 14 Gunasthanas are progressive stages of the soul's purification from karmic bondage, starting from delusion and ending in liberation. They don't map one-to-one with the Pancha Parameshthi, as the latter are hierar...

mainly, jain literature refuted rituals and sacrifices practiced by vedic followers. vedas refer to jain monks as : vratyas = ritual ascetics & vow keepers Here's a deep‑dive summary of how Vedic literature (Vedas, Upaniṣads, Vedic hymns/ritual texts) are referenced, critiqued, appropriated or re‑interpreted in early Jain literature (roughly 500 BCE to 1000 CE). I'll give key examples , major themes , and caveats about source‑quality. Because full translations are often unavailable, many of these remain summary‑reports rather than full parallel texts. ✅ Key instances of Vedic references in Jain literature Here are a number of relatively well‑attested cases where Jain texts engage with Vedic/Upaniṣadic material or invoke Vedic sages/hymns. Source (Jain) Vedic/Upaniṣadic reference or engagement Comments Visesavasyakabhāṣya by Ācārya Jinabhadra (ca. 500‑600 CE) This commentary on Jain doctrine cites a number of passages from the Upaniṣads (whic...