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 ...

cosmology, the Nigoda is a realm existing in which the lowest forms of invisible life reside in endless numbers, and without any hope of release by self-effort.

Jain scriptures 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 ...

describe nigodas which are

microorganism A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...

s Kanti V. Mardia, Aidan D. Rankin: Living Jainism. An Ethical Science, Alresford 2013. living in large clusters, having only one sense,Meera Baindur: Nature in Indian Philosophy and Cultural Traditions, Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures 12, New Delhi 2015, p. 100. having a very short life and are said to pervade each and every part of universe, even in tissues of plants and flesh of animals. The Nigoda exists in contrast to the Supreme Abode, also located at the

Siddhashila Siddhashila is an area in Jain cosmology at the apex of the universe, which is where the Jains believe people who have become '' arihants'' and ''tirthankaras'' go after they die and attain ''moksha''. Such people are called ''siddhas'' after ...

(top of the universe) where liberated souls exist in omnisciencent and eternal bliss. According to Jain tradition, it is said that when a human being achieves liberation (

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...

) or if a human would be born as a Nigoda due to

karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

, another from the Nigoda is given the potential of self-effort and hope.

Characteristics

The life in ''Nigoda'' is that of a sub-microscopic organism possessing only one sense, i.e., of touch.

Notes

References

* Jain cosmology {{Jainism-stub