These words are, of course, normally written in Indian
scripts so different spellings can be found when they are converted into
the Roman alphabet. Some variants are shown in brackets. In particular the
final -a (which is often not pronounced) is often omitted, c is pronounced
ch and often written thus, s may stand for the English s or sh sounds.
Acharya: leader of a community of monks
Ahimsa: non-violence
Ajiva: non-living substance
Anekantavada: the view of non-one-sidedness
Anga: sacred scriptures of the Jains arati
Aarti: ceremony of waving lamps
Ardhamagadhi: the Prakrit language in which the Jain
scriptures and prayers are written
Arhat (arihanta): an enlightened soul, one who has
reached the last stage before final liberation
Arihanta Puja: a form of worship praising the arhat and
other beings
Asrava: inflow of karma into the soul
Bandha: binding of karma to the soul
Brahmin: the priestly caste in Indian society
Chaitya Vandana: temple prayers
Chaturyama dharma: the 'fourfold teaching' of the
twenty- third Tirthankara, abstention from violence, untruth, stealing and
acquisitiveness
Dhyana: deep meditation Digambara: 'sky-clad', one of
the two major sects of Jainism (see 'Svetambara')Diksa (diksha):
initiation of a monk
Dipa: a lamp
Divali: Indian festival, kept by the Jains in
remembrance of Mahavira's moksa
Ganadhara: the eleven immediate followers of Mahavira
Gunasthana: the fourteen stages on the ladder of spiritual progress
Guru: a teacher, particularly a monk's master in the
religious order
Jai Jinendra: honor to the supreme Jina (Jain greeting)
Jina:one who has conquered (the passions), usually referring to a
Tirthankara
Jiva: Living being, soul
Jnana Pancham: fifth day of the year, the day of
knowledge Kalpa Sutra: a popular Jain sacred scripture
Karma: actions, the instrument by which previous
actions take effect on the individual's soul and life
Keval jnana: total knowledge, omniscience
Ksatriya: the knightly caste in Indian society
Mahavira Jayanti: annual festival celebrating
Mahavira's birth
Maunagiyaras: annual day of silence and fasting
Moguls (Mughals): rulers of the Muslim empire in India
(sixteenth to eighteenth centuries A.D.)
Moksa (moksha): final liberation, nirvana
Muni: a monk
Namaskara Mantra: see 'Panca Namaskara'
Namo: I bow to...
Nigoda: very tiny living beings
Nirjara: shedding of karma from the soul
Nirvana: final liberation, moksa
Nisihi: utterance on entering temple to indicate
abandonment of worldly thoughts
