Chaud gunsthanak means the fourteen stages (gunasthānas) of the soul on the path to liberation. Each stage describes both what the soul believes (darśana) and how it acts (charitra), as impurities slowly decrease and spiritual purity increases.

Simple outline of the 14 Gunasthānas

• 1) Mithyādrishti Gunasthānak — stage of false belief
• 2) Sasvadana-samyagdrishti Gunasthānak — a taste of right faith
• 3) Mishra Gunasthānak — mixed belief
• 4) Avirata-samyagdrishti Gunasthānak — right faith but without full restraint
• 5) Desavirata — partial restraint (desi virata)
• 6) Pramattasamyata — slight negligence in conduct
• 7) Apramattasamyata — careful, disciplined conduct
• 8) Nivrtti-badara-samparaya Gunasthānak — passions still coarse
• 9) Anivrutti-badara-samparaya Gunasthānak — higher purity, further purification
• 10) Sukshma-samparaya — passions in subtle form
• 11) Upāsānta-kasāya vitarāga chādmastha — subsiding passions
• 12) Ksīna-kasāya vitarāga chādmastha — annihilated passions
• 13) Sayogī kevalin — omniscience with activity
• 14) Ayogī kevalin — omniscience without activity (liberation)

Key idea

• The journey moves from impurity (mohaniya karmas) toward kevala jñāna (infinite right knowledge) and moksha. Each step represents a specific combination of belief and ethical discipline, with differences in how strictly one practices vows and how refined one’s passions have become. Across Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions, the names and order are largely the same in meaning, with minor wording differences.

Notes on tradition

• Digambar and Śvetāmbara texts agree on the overall sequence and purpose: purify the soul by eradicating karma until only pure knowledge remains. Subtle differences may appear in phrasing or emphasis, but the spiritual aim is the same.

If you’d like, I can share a short, original sutra-like verse that describes the Chaud gunsthanak in authentic Jain terms. You can read more about the Gunasthān framework here, from a Jain Knowledge source: You can read more here