In
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
, Jinvani means the message or the teachings of the Jina (''arihant''). It is made up of two words ''Jina'' (
arihant) and ''Vani'' (voice). Often the words are spelled out separately or put together as "Jinavani" in publications. It is depicted in various forms, such as "Jinwani" which may be a
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
(or a village in India, by coincidence), and is also personified as ''Jinvani Maa'' (Mother Jinvani). The omniscient form of Jina-Vani (relative to
Kevala Jnana) is said to be a letterless speech, when emanating from an arihant, which is understandable by all present, in their own language, as it is transformed into lettered discourse. In literature, discourses of the tirthankara (or
jineshwar) are generally referred to as Jinvani (or Jin-Vaani), as well as Srutu
Jnana (or Shrut Jnana), meaning scriptural knowledge.
Depiction
There is a statue of
Saraswati Devi, goddess of knowledge, having Jinvani in her hand on Lotus behind the Peacock in the
Shantinath Jain Teerth
The Shantinath Jain Teerth, also known as Shri 1008 Shantinath Digambar Jain Mandir, is a Jain temple located in Indapur, Pune, Maharashtra. The design and architecture of the temple is patterned after that of South Indian temples. The temple i ...
. Likewise, she may be referred to as ''Jinavani'', for presiding over Jaina scriptures.
See also
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God in Jainism
In Jainism, godliness is said to be the inherent quality of every soul. This quality, however, is subdued by the soul's association with karmic matter. All souls who have achieved the natural state of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge ('' keva ...
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Jain Epistemology
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Jain literature
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 ca ...
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Jinvani channel
Notes
References
Jain texts
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