In Jainism, sins are called pap (paap). They are actions that bind the soul with karmic particles and hinder liberation. Sins can be done with thoughts, speech, or actions, and they harm living beings or break moral vows.

Main ideas about sins:

• Sins are not just “bad deeds” but karmic actions that attach karma to the soul.
• They come in mental, verbal, and physical forms.
• Avoiding them helps purify the soul and move toward moksha.

Common classifications you’ll hear:

• Panch Mahapap (five great sins): violence (hinsa), falsehood (asatya/satya), stealing/adattadaan, unchastity (maithuna/abrahmacharya), and possessiveness or greed (parigraha/aparigraha). These are considered especially severe and are strictly avoided by monks and strict lay vows. You can read more about these five major sins here .
• 18 Pap (eighteen sins): a broader list that includes various forms of harm, deceit, theft, sexual misconduct, greed, and related wrongs. This expanded framework helps practitioners understand many everyday misdeeds. You can see details here .

Some related concepts:

• Punya and Papa are the karmic outcomes of wholesome and unwholesome actions, respectively. Saints and laypeople reflect on these through practices like repentance.
• Pratikramana is a frequent practice of introspection and asking pardon for sins committed knowingly or unknowingly, to reduce karmic bondage.

If you’d like, I can explain a specific sin in more detail (its artha) from Digambara or Śvetāmbara points of view.