Guṇasthāna means the stages of the soul’s spiritual progress on the path to liberation (mokṣa). In Jainism, a person’s inner belief (darśana) and outward conduct (cariṭra) gradually purify as the soul moves through fourteen distinct stages. The first seven stages are mainly about belief and perception, and the last seven are about conduct and discipline. This framework shows a gradual removal of karma and increasing purity of the soul. There are small differences in wording between Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions, but the overall sequence and purpose remain the same. You can read more about these fourteen stages and their meanings on Jain Knowledge resources.

Key points to know:

• The fourteen guṇasthānas (levels) start from mithyā-dṛṣṭi (deluded belief) and desha-virata (partial restraint), and move toward anivr̥tti-bādara-samparāya, then sukṣma-samparāya, upāsānta-kaṣāya, kṣīṇa-kaṣāya, and finally sayogī-kevali (omniscience with activity) and ayogī-kevali (omniscience without activity, liberation).
• Some texts describe the later two stages as the attainment of kevala jñāna and eventual mokṣa, with slight differences in terminology between Digambara and Śvetāmbara interpretations. The gist is the same: purification leads to omniscience and liberation.

If you want, you can read more on the 14 guṇasthānas with concise meanings here:

• 14 gunsthanak art.

Note: For a compact Jain explanation of the stages with the core terms and meanings, you can also explore this page.