Here is a brief literature review of shravak kartavya (duties of a Jain lay follower), with core texts and how they are viewed in different Jain traditions.
Key texts and their focus
- Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra (Samantabhadra)
- A foundational Digambara-era text detailing the conduct and duties of a śrāvaka. It systematically lays out daily, periodic, and annual practices for lay followers, including vows (anuvratas), penance, study, and service to gurus and sadhus.
- Core idea: lay conduct is a practical path to purify the self and progress toward moksha through disciplined, non-violent, truthful living.
- You can read more here
- Shravakācāra literature (various authors)
- A broad category of Jain works that describe the duties, ethics, and daily/annual practices of a lay Jain. They summarize the expected conduct, including samayik (meditation), pratikraman (repentance), dana (giving), swadhyaya (study), guru-seva, and respect for monks and temples.
- These texts serve as practical manuals for gharisthas (householders) to live in accordance with Jain principles.
- A modern overview and discussion of Shravakācāra themes can be found here
- Tattvarthasutra (Umāsvāti)
- Though a broad Jain treatise on ontology and ethics, it provides the framework for lay vows (anuvratas) and the path of a śrāvaka. It is accepted across major Jain traditions and informs how lay duties are to be understood within the larger Jain dharma.
- For a concise Jain perspective on the lay path, see Jain Knowledge discussions that reference its role in śrāvaka conduct. You can read more here
- Varshik (annual) and Paryushan-related duties
- Literature and guidance specifically discuss varshik kartavya (annual duties) for śrāvakas, including:
- observing major Jain tithis with vrata and fasting (e.g., during Paryushan)
- practicing pratikraman for the year, swadhyaya, and charitable acts
- honoring gurus and sadhus, and serving the temple and community
- Modern Jain Knowledge writes on varshik kartavya and related practices, connecting them to classic texts. You can read more here
- Modern summaries and teaching materials
- Contemporary Jain educators and sites (including recent course notes and learner-focused explanations) offer structured lists of shravak duties, such as daily, nightly, parva (festival), chaturmas, and janma kartavya. These help translate ancient prescriptions into daily practice for lay followers.
- An example of such a summary can be found here
Traditions: Digambar vs. Śvetāmbara differences
- Both Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions recognize the essential duties of a lay follower (śrāvaka). The core ideas—ahimsa, satya, asteya, aparigraha, and Brahmacharya in a lay-adapted form (anuvratas)—are common, but the emphasis and exact practices can differ in tone or scope.
- Digambara and Śvetāmbara literature often cite different śrāvaka manuals (e.g., Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra is especially prominent in Digambara contexts). Śvetāmbara manuals may align with their own canonical collections and teachers, but both traditions agree on the practical aim: purify the soul through disciplined lay conduct and regular reflection.
- Daily practices (samayik, pratikraman, dana, swadhyaya) are common to both, but the forms of rituals, temple etiquette, and the particular sequence of veneration may vary by tradition. If you need tradition-specific wording or procedures, I can point to the exact texts used in Digambara vs. Śvetāmbara contexts.
If you’d like, I can pull out short, traditional formulations from the primary śrāvaka texts and present the exact conduct described in Digambara and Śvetāmbara sources, along with a compact arth (meaning) for each item.
You can read more here and here
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