Jiv ka lakshan (jiva ki laksanā) ki mool baatye Jain dharm me saaṃjha jaave:

• Jiv ek sadāvivek (chetan) vastu hai: yaani ki jiv sakshik, samvedansheel aur samvedan-sheel hota hai.
• Jiv ke paas cetna (jnana), darshan (anubhuti), dardha (anand) ki shakti hoti hai. Isliye jiv ko jnana, darshan aur sukha ki praptī hoti hai.
• Jiv eternally (nitya) hota hai, na to janm leta hai na marta hai; parantu karma ki wajah se jiv par chhidra (bandhan) lagta hai aur uski praptiyon par prabhav padta hai.
• Jiv ajiva (pudgala, kshaya, etc.) se alag hai. Jiv ki vastu-svabhavik visheshta uski chaitanya hai; ajiva ke paas chaitanya nahi hoti.
• Jiv ki linga- (senses) aur mana-manas ki kshamta hoti hai. Aam taur par jiv ko paanch indriyon ki shaktiyon wala maana jaata hai (sphota, sparsh, rasan, ras, gandh aur drishti)—kaafi sampradayon me is par zor diya jata hai; kuch shastron me manas (man) ko bhi chatha jaata hai.
• Karma ke bandhan se mukt hone par jiv ke liye moksha hota hai; moksha milne ke baad jiv ke laksan amar aur anant gyaan ki avastha paata hai.

Do digambar/shwetambar sampradayon me jiv ke arth aur vivaran me thode-alag vyakhyaayein mil sakti hain, par mukhya baat yahi hai ki jiv chetna-rasit hai, anant jnana-sukha ki kshamata rakhta hai, aur karm ke bandhan se hi badhta-gata hai.

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