Jainism puts great stress on learning. Jains have been prolific authors and avid readers. India's oldest manuscript libraries have been preserved in Jaisalmer and Patan by Jain scholars. According the the 2001 census, the Jains are the most literate community in India.
The Jain literature includes both religious texts and books on generally secular topics such as sciences, history, grammers etc. The Jains have used several languages at different times and regions of India. The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ...
Prakrit literature: includes the Agamas, Agama-tulya texts, Siddhanta texts etc. Composition in Prakrits ceased around 10th cent AD.
Sanskrit literature: Writing in Sanskrit became common after about 1st cent. CE., starting with Tatvartha Sutra of Uma Swati. Jain Sanskrit literature includes Puranas, Koshas, Shravakacharas, Mathematics, Nighantus etc.
Apabhramsha literature: from about 10th to 15th cent CE. The texts include Kahas, rasas, grammars etc. Most of the known Apabhramsha texts are of Jain origin.
Hindi: In the past 8-9 centuries numerous Jain texts in Hindi have been written which include Ardha-kathanaka, Chhah-dhala, Mokshamarga Prakashaka etc.
Kannada: The earliest texts in Kannada like Vaddaradhane are works of Jain authors.
Gujarati: Bharata-Bahubali Ras, the first Gujarati book, was by a Jain author.
Well known Jain mathematicians include Virasena, Mahavira (mathematician), Hemachandra and Mahendra Suri. Jump to: navigation, search The term Apabhramsha refers to the dialects of North India before the rise of modern North Indian languages. ... Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari Tirukural (திரà¯à®•à¯à®•à¯à®±à®³à¯ in Tamil) is an important work of Tamil literature by Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various aspects of life. ... Cilappatikaram (The Ankle Bracelet) also spelled as Cilappadhikaram or Silappadhigaram, is one of the five great epics of ancient Tamil Literature. ... Jump to: navigation, search Jeevaga-chintamani (transliterated with innumerable variations) is a classical Tamil language epic poem. ... Virasena was a 9th century Indian mathematician who gave derivation of the volume of a frustrum by a sort of infinite procedure. ... Hemachandra Suri (हेमचन्द्र सूरी) (correct Sanskrit spelling Hemacandra Sürí) (1089 -1172) was one of the greatest scholars of his time. ... Mahendra Suri was the author of the astronomical text Yantraraja. ...
Around 500 A.D., which was one thousand years after Lord Mahavir's nirvana (death), Jain acharyas realized that it was extremely difficult to keep memorizing the entire Jainliterature complied by the many scholars of the past and present.
All Swetambar Jains believe that the proper meaning and the original intent of the eleven Ang-agams survived and were properly documented by elder monks one thousand years after Lord Mahavir's nirvan.
The Jainliterature which was complied by Ganadharas and Srut-kevlis is known as Agam literature.
Jains regard him and all Tirthankars as a reformer who called for a return to beliefs and practices in line with the eternal universal philosophy upon which the faith is said to be based.
The swastika is one of the holiest Jain symbols.
Jain philosophy and culture have been a major cultural, philosophical, social and political force since the dawn of civilization in South Asia, and its ancient influence has been traced beyond the borders of modern India into the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions.
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