The Taran Panth, also known as Taran Svami Panth, Taran Samaj or Taranapanthi, is a sect of
Digambara
''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major Jain schools and branches, schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvetāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic pract ...
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
founded by
Taran Svami in
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central and North India. It corresponds to the Post-Vedic Chedi kingdom. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Prad ...
in central India in c. 1505 CE.
Taran Svami
Taran Svami was a Jain religious teacher and founder of the Taran Panth. He lived in the 15th century central India. The traditional biographies places him within the Digambara mystic tradition. They also consider him a ritual reformer for rejecting the authority of
Bhattaraka
A Bhaṭṭāraka (; ) heads traditional Digambara Jain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running Jain institutions.
Overview
The ...
s and his emphasis on
aniconism
Aniconism is the cultural absence of artistic representations ('' icons'') of the natural and supernatural worlds, or it is the absence of representations of certain figures in religions. The prohibition of material representations may only extend ...
and inner realization. He is credited with writing fourteen texts.
Texts
The following fourteen texts are credited to Taran Svami. These texts are classified in five systems mentioned in one manuscript of ''Thikanesara'' (now at Khurai temple). Scholars have expressed doubts about his authorship of the ''Chadmastha Vani'' as it cites his death and of the ''Nama Mala'' as it contains names of his disciples. These texts are classified in five systems mentioned in one manuscript of ''Thikanesara'' (now at Khurai temple).
* ''Vicara mata'' (Reflections)
** ''Malarohana'' ("Garland offering")
** ''Pandita Puja'' ("Wise worship")
** ''Kamala Battisi'' ("Lotus thirty-two
erses)
* ''Acara mata'' (Conduct)
** ''Shravakacara'' ("Lay conduct")
* ''Sara mata'' (Essential teachings)
** ''Jñana Samuccaya Sara'' ("Collected essence of knowledge")
** ''Tribhangi Sara'' ("Essence in triads")
** ''Upadesha Shuddha Sara'' ("Pure essence of the teachings")
* ''Mamala mata'' (Spiritual purity)
** ''Mamala Pahuda'' ("Handbook on purity")
** ''Caubisa Thana'' ("Twenty-four topics")
* ''Kevala mata'' (Enlightenment)
** ''Chadmastha Vani'' ("Sayings of the unliberated")
** ''Nama Mala'' ("Garland of names")
** ''Khatika Vishesa'' ("Special uprooter")
** ''Siddha Subhava'' ("Nature of the perfected soul")
** ''Sunna Subhava'' ("Nature of emptiness")
The three texts in the ''Vicara mata'' category are thirty-two verse compositions. They are the most popular texts of Taran Svami. ''Malarohana'' was composed for the marriage of Taran Svami's followers, according to the tradition. It is still read during marriage of the followers. Premi had said that during
Daslakshana, the followers gather in the temple and recite ''Pandita Puja'' and ''Mamalapahuda'' in day and ''Malarohana'' and ''Kamala Battisi'' at night. K. Samaiya had equated them with
Ratnatraya
Jainism emphasises that ratnatraya (triple gems of Jainism) — the right faith (''Samyak Darshana''), right knowledge (''Samyak Gyana'') and right conduct (''Samyak Charitra'') — constitutes the path to liberation. These are known as the tripl ...
. Some members recite some of these texts daily.
Other texts are not well-known. ''Sravakacara'' has 462 verses which defines code of conduct for lay followers which draws from earlier Digambara text ''
Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra
Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra is a Jain text composed by Aacharya Samantbhadra Swamy (second century CE), an ''acharya'' of the Digambara sect of Jainism. Aacharya Samantbhadra Swamy was originally from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Ratnakaranda śr� ...
''. The ''Jñana Samuccaya Sara'' has 908 verses, and the ''Upadesha Shuddha Sara'' has 588 verses. These two texts discuss the Digambara philosophy and metaphysics. The ''Jñana Samuccaya Sara'' discusses ''
Ratnatraya
Jainism emphasises that ratnatraya (triple gems of Jainism) — the right faith (''Samyak Darshana''), right knowledge (''Samyak Gyana'') and right conduct (''Samyak Charitra'') — constitutes the path to liberation. These are known as the tripl ...
'', scriptures, the stages of lay spirituality,
''Anuvrata'' and ''Mahavrata'', seven types of Jain philosophy, ''
Dravya
''Dravya'' () means substance or entity. According to the Jain philosophy, the universe is made up of six eternal substances: sentient beings or souls ('' jīva''), non-sentient substance or matter (''pudgala''), principle of motion (''dharma'' ...
'', ''Dhyana '' etc. The ''Upadesha Shuddha Sara'' discusses the path of liberation and its hurdles. The ''Tribhangi Sara'' has 71 verses which discusses the topics in triads. These four texts are close to the Digambara tradition of philosophy.
The ''Mamala Pahuda'' is a collection of songs. It has more than 3,200 verses. The ''Caubisa Thana'' discusses 24 topics of spirituality to gain liberation. It is mix of prose and verse and about 20 pages in total.
The ''Chadmastha Vani'' and ''Nama Mala'' are short prose texts about nine pages. It has information on Taran Svami and his followers and other subjects. Premi had said that ''Chadmastha Vani'' is recited by followers for five days after
Diwali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
. The ''Khatika Vishesa'' discusses about ''Karma'' in context of the cycle of time. It is mix of prose and verse. The ''Siddha Subhava'' and ''Sunna Subhava'' are short prose. The ''Siddha Subhava'' discusses the purification of soul while the ''Sunna Subhav'' discusses ways of destroying ego.
Commentaries on six of the main texts composed by Taran Svami were written by Brahmacari Shitala Prasad in the 1930s. Commentaries on other texts have also been done recently.
Osho
Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain; 11 December 193119 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and later as Osho (), was an Indian godman, philosopher, mystic and founder of the Rajneesh movement. He was viewed ...
(Rajnish), who was born into a Taranpanthi family, has included ''Sunna Subhava'' and ''Siddhi Subhava'' as among the books that influenced him most.
History
After death of Taran Svami, the history of the sect is unclear. The ''Nam Mala'' contains around 2000 names but its significance is unclear. Based on oral traditions, Taran Svami had disciples from varied classes and castes. His disciples were from Jain as well from non-Jain background. Some of his disciples had Muslim background. No scholarly study has constructed the early history of Taran Panth due to clear lack of literary tradition. The religious profession is also unclear in the sect. There were some associated with ''Nisaiji'' temples. There are no monks in the sect but they had some lay celibates (''Brahmachari'' and ''Brahmacharini''s).
Today a large number of the followers of Taran Panth come from six merchant castes of
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central and North India. It corresponds to the Post-Vedic Chedi kingdom. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Prad ...
region of
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
. Three of these – Samaiya, Dosakhe and Gulalare – were converts from
Murtipujaka
Mūrtipūjaka (lit. "image-worshipper"), also known as Derāvāsī ("temple-dweller") or Mandir Mārgī ("follower of the temple path"), is the largest sect of Śvētāmbara, Śvetāmbara Jainism. Mūrtipūjaka Jains differ from both Śvetāmba ...
Jain communities, and the other three – Asethi, Ayodhyavasi and Carnagar – were converts from
Vaishnava
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...
Hindu communities as informed to Jain scholar Cort. The total number of the followers of the Taran Panth range from 20,000 to 100,000. R. Samaiya had listed 131 temples and the number of followers just under 20,000 in 1989. Majority of the followers reside in Madhya Pradesh and some in south
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
and northwest
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
.
Pilgrimage sites and temples

Taranpanthi shrines are called Chaityalaya (or sometimes Nisai/Nasia). At the altar (vimana) they have a book instead of an idol.
The most important site is located in Malhargadh village in
Guna district
Guna District () is one of the 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Its administrative headquarters is Guna. The district has a population of 1,241,519 (2011 census). It has an area of 6390 km², and is bounded on the northeas ...
where Taran Svami spent his final years and where his last rites were performed. The shrine known as Nisaiji ("Honoured Memorial") is on the banks of the Betwa river. The three-days annual fair known as Phag Phulna ("Phag Flowering") is orhanised from
Falgun
Falgun or Phalgun (; ) or Phagun () is the eleventh month of the year in the Bengali calendar, the Assamese calendar, and the Nepali calendar. In the revision of the Bengali calendar used in Bangladesh since October 2019, the month has 29 days ...
Bright Fifth. In the past, there was an annual fair organised in honour of one of his Muslim disciple Ruiya Raman or Ruiya Jin but it is discontinued. Many followers visit here for
Chudakarana
The Chudakarana (, ) or the Mundana (, ), is the eighth of the sixteen Hindu saṃskāras (sacraments), in which a child receives their first haircut.
Regional names
It is known by various names throughout the Indian subcontinent,like :-
* ज ...
ritual of their children. The shrine has stone windows and high canopies built in "late medieval Rajput" style. The style became standard for other shrines. The history of the site is written by Phulchandra who says that the shrine was initially just a ''chhatri'' (canopy). In 1817, Taracand Mallusav, a merchant from
Nagpur
Nagpur (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Nāgapura'') is the second capital and third-largest city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is called the heart of India because of its central geographical location. It is the largest and most populated city i ...
rebuilt the shrine in its current form, the platform with twelve doors and several canopies. He had sponsored the annual fair and one of his family member, Kesaridau, died here. The shrine is simple and has a central marble altar which houses a pile of printed books. Behind it, there is an older stone altar which is considered the original one. There are a records of patrons of fair from 1817. Since 1933, the fair is organised by the community. There are no images due to Taran Svami's emphasis on aniconism. There are three stone platforms in the Betwa river associated with events in his life.
Semarkheri located near Sironj in
Vidisha district
Vidisha District (Hindi: विदिशा; ) is in Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. The city of Vidisha is the administrative headquarters of the district.
Geography
The district is bounded by the districts of Ashoknagar to the northea ...
has a shrine built by
Banjara
The Banjara are nomadic tribes found in India.
Etymology
The Gor usually refer to themselves as ''Banjaras'' and outsiders as ''Kor'', but this usage does not extend outside their own community. A related usage is ''Gor Mati'' or ''Gormati'', ...
s. Here he spent some time engaging in spiritual activities. The annual fair is organised on
Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami , also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways ...
. It is oldest shrine after Nisaiji and has records of the patrons of the fair dating back to 1881. Sukha near Pathariya village in
Damoh district where Taran Svami preached. The old site was in dilapidated condition before the new constructions started in 1938. The annual fair is organised on Agahan Bright Seventh (November–December). The day of fair known as ''Taran Jayanti'' and is of recent origin. The shrine at Bilhari village near Katni in
Jabalpur district
Jabalpur district () is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city of Jabalpur is the administrative headquarters of the district.
The area of the district is 5,198 km2 with population of 2,463,289 (2011 census). As of ...
is associated with birth of Taran Svami. The site became focus of community only recently and no annual fair is organised here.
There is a memorial dedicated to Himau Pande, one of Taran Svami's chief disciple at Chand village in
Chhindwara district
Chhindwara district () is a List of districts of Madhya Pradesh, district of Madhya Pradesh state in India, and Chhindwara town is the district headquarters. Chhindwara was the largest district in Madhya Pradesh with an area of 10,293 square k ...
. The site only recently became a focus of development by local followers. There was only large platform in the past but now a large temple is built. The annual fair is organised on Jeth Dark Sixth, known as Samadhi Sixth, the death anniversary of Himau Pande.
There is also a large platform at Garaula (or Garhaula), near Tindua in
Damoh district which is associated with Taran Svami's childhood days at his maternal uncle's house.
The temples are fairly simple in design with open spaces and least ornamentation. The marble altars in temple has symbols associated with generalized auspiciousness. Due to aniconic emphasis, there are no images placed in the temples. Sometimes the altar has books of Taran Svami and of other writers from Digambara mystic and philosophical traditions.
Rituals and practices
The order of the services were organised by Jayasagar in the mid-twentieth century.
The temple rituals are as follows: The follower enters the temple and bows to the altar as the sign of respect then recites three verses drawn from Taran Svami's texts known as ''Tatva Patha'' or ''Tatva Mangal'' in front of the altar. This is followed by singing ''
Bhajan
Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root w ...
''s or hymns. If there is a sermon, ''bhaiji'' or ''pande'', a local intellectual associated with temple or other intellectuals known as ''
pundit
A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...
'' will deliver sermons to seated followers. The sermon ends with everyone standing and singing a hymn known as ''Abalabali''. The ritual ends with the ''
Arati
''Arti'' () or ''Aarati'' () is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a '' puja'', in which light from a flame (fuelled by camphor, ghee, or oil) is ritually waved to venerate deities. ''Arti'' also refers to the hymns sung in praise of t ...
''. The ''Arati'' has two parts; the first one is dedicated to ''Dev'' (God), ''Guru'' (teacher) and scriptures while the other part is dedicated to Taran Svami.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
Taran Panth
{{Jainism Topics
Digambara sects
Aniconism
Madhya Pradesh