''Shrutakevalin'' () a term used 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 ...

for those ascetics who have complete knowledge of

Jain Agamas 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 ...

. Shrutakevalin and Kevalin (omniscient beings) are equal from the perspective of knowledge, but ''Shrutajnana'' is ''Paroksha'' (indirect) whereas kevala jnana (omniscience) is ''pratyaksha'' (direct). ''Kevali'' can describe infinite part of the infinite knowledge that they possess. Shrutakevalins are learned of 14

Purvas The Fourteen Purva translated as ancient or prior knowledge, are a large body of Jain scriptures that was preached by all Tirthankaras (omniscient teachers) of Jainism encompassing the entire gamut of knowledge available in this universe. The pers ...

. According to the Jain text,

Sarvārthasiddhi ''Sarvārthasiddhi'' is a famous Jain text authored by '' Ācārya Pujyapada''. It is the oldest extan commentary on ''Ācārya Umaswami's Tattvārthasūtra'' (another famous Jain text). Traditionally though, the oldest commentary on the Tattv� ...

: "The teachers are of three kinds, namely the Omniscient

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

, his disciples (''Śruta kevalis'') and the later preceptors (Acharyas). The scriptures were really taught by the Omniscient Tirthamkara, gifted with perfect knowledge of unimaginable power and splendour. The Lord is free from all kinds of impurities and is possessed of direct and perfect knowledge. Hence His word is authoritative. The Lord’s chief disciples called Ganadharas gifted with vast knowledge recollect the import of the Lord’s teachings and compose works called ''angas'' and ''pūrvas' ."Alt URL
/ref> After the

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, ...

(liberation) of

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

, Gautamaswami,

Sudharmaswami Sudharmaswami ( sa, Sudharmāsvāmī or Sudharman; 607 BC – 507 BC) was the fifth ganadhara of Mahavira. All the current Jainism, Jain acharyas and monks follow his rule. Life Sudharmaswami was the spiritual successor of Indrabhuti Gautama ...

and

Jambuswami Jambuswami (543-449 BCE) was the spiritual successor of Sudharmaswami in Jain religious order reorganised by Mahavira. He remained the head for 39 or 44 years, after which he is believed to have gained '' Kevala Jnana'' (omniscience). He is bel ...

were three Kevalins. After Jambuswami, according to Digambara tradition, Vishnu, Nandi,

Aparajita Aparajita was an able Shilahara ruler of north Konkan branch from 975 CE – 1010 CE. Chhadvaideva was followed by his nephew Aparajita, the son of Vajjada. Aparajita was an ambitious king. He sought to extend his sphere of influence by ...

, Govardhan and

Bhadrabahu Ācārya Bhadrabāhu (c. 367 - c. 298 BC) was, according to the ''Digambara'' sect of Jainism, the last '' Shruta Kevalin'' (all knowing by hearsay, that is indirectly) in Jainism . He was the last ''acharya'' of the undivided Jain ''sangha''. ...

and according to Svetambara tradition, Prabhava, Shaiyamabhava, Vishobhadra, Sabhuvijaya, Bhadrabahu and

Sthulibhadra Sthulabhadra (297-198 BCE) was the founder of Svetambara Jain order during a 12-year famine in Maurya empire in third or fourth-century BC. He was a disciple of Bhadrabahu and Sambhutavijaya. His father was Sakatala, a minister in Nanda kingdo ...

were the six Shrutakevalins. Some Svetambara don't consider Sthulibhadra as Shrutakevalin and accept only other five.

Notes

Sources

* Jain saints {{India-culture-stub