I’ll answer in three parts:

1. What is the 5th āra according to Bhagavān Mahāvīr
2. What important things became extinct in the 5th āra (in our Bhārat Kṣetra)
3. Whether avadhijñān is possible in the 5th āra

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1. 5th āra according to Jain time‑cycle

In Jain cosmology, each half‑cycle of time (avasarpiṇī / utsarpiṇī) has 6 āras (periods). We are now in:

• Avasarpiṇī (descending half)
• 5th āra = duḥṣamā (dukhama) – a period of sorrow and spiritual decline
• Total duration of 5th āra in Bhārat Kṣetra: 21,000 years
• Mahāvīr Bhagavān’s nirvāṇa took place at the end of 4th āra / beginning of 5th āra.

Immediately after that, 5th āra started and is still going on.

Agam-granths like Bhagavatī-sūtra, Jambūdvīpa-prajñapti, Tiloyapaṇṇatti, etc., describe that in this 5th āra:

• Dharma (right conduct) keeps becoming weaker and rarer
• Violence, deceit, attachment, and greed keep increasing
• Lifespan, physical strength, height, and inner purity of humans keep decreasing
• It is called “duḥṣamā” because suffering is dominant, and true spiritual practice becomes very difficult for ordinary beings

You can also read a simple explanation of 5th āra here

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2. What became extinct in the 5th āra?

Here it is important to separate:

• Things that stopped at the start of the 5th āra, and
• Things that gradually disappeared during the 5th āra

(A) Things that ended at the junction of 4th–5th āra

From Jain tradition (both Digambar and Śvetāmbara agree on the main points):

1. No new Tīrthaṅkaras in Bhārat Kṣetra

- Mahāvīr Swāmī is the 24th and last Tīrthaṅkara of this avasarpiṇī in Bhārat. - After him, no more Tīrthaṅkaras will be born in Bhārat in the remaining 5th and 6th āras of this half‑cycle.

1. End of Pañca‑kalyāṇaka events in Bhārat

- Future janma, dīkṣā, keval‑jñān, dharmadeśanā, and nirvāṇa kalyāṇakas of any Tīrthaṅkara do not occur in Bhārat during 5th and 6th āras.

1. No more Cakravartīs, Baladevas, Vāsudevas, Prativāsudevas

- The great universal emperors and heroic pairs described in Jain “caritra” literature do not arise once this spiritually better time ends. - Their era is considered finished by the beginning of 5th āra in Bhārat.

1. No new Samavasaraṇa in Bhārat

- Samavasaraṇa (divine preaching assembly of a Kevalī‑Tīrthaṅkara) no longer occurs here.

So, in 5th āra of Bhārat Kṣetra:

• No new Tīrthaṅkara is born
• No new Kevalī‑Tīrthaṅkara gives samavasaraṇa
• No new Cakravartī / Baldeva / Vāsudeva / Prativāsudeva appear

These are considered “extinct” here for the rest of this avasarpiṇī.

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(B) Things that disappeared within the 5th āra

Right at the very beginning of 5th āra, some great beings still existed for a short time:

• Jambu-svāmī (last Gaṇadhar of Mahāvīr) attained keval‑jñān and then mokṣa in the early part of 5th āra.
• After him there were Śruta‑kevalīs and then other Ācāryas.

Gradually in the 5th āra, the following became extinct in Bhārat:

1. Kevalī‑jñānīs (omniscient souls) in Bhārat

- For a short phase of 5th āra, Jambu-svāmī and (depending on tradition) a few more had keval‑jñān. - After the last human kevalī’s nirvāṇa in Bhārat, no more new human Kevalīs arise here in 5th and 6th āras.

1. Śruta‑kevalīs (perfect-knowers of all scriptures)

- After some time in 5th āra, even Śruta‑kevalīs disappeared. - Now there is no Śruta‑kevalī in Bhārat Kṣetra.

1. Complete, original Āgama in human memory and practice

- Śvetāmbara view: Original 12 Aṅgas and other texts were gradually lost; finally, even the Dṛṣṭivāda Aṅga was lost after some centuries in 5th āra. - Digambar view: They hold that all original oral Āgamas were lost quite early after Mahāvīr; the present scriptures are later compositions based on tradition and knowledge that remained.

Both agree that by the middle of 5th āra, the perfect, intact oral tradition of Mahāvīr’s preachings no longer exists in our region.

1. Decline in lifespan, strength, and internal purity

- In 4th āra: long lifespans, strong bodies, more natural inclination to dharma. - In 5th āra: - Human lifespan keeps decreasing - Height and body strength decrease - Moral strength, honesty, compassion, and capacity for deep tapas also keep going down

1. Ease of attaining high spiritual states

- In earlier āras, even householders could easily attain lofty guṇas and high spiritual levels. - In 5th āra: - Saṃyama (true restraint) and strong tapo (austerity) become very rare - People are more controlled by anger, pride, deceit, greed, and sensuality - This is not “extinction” in a strict sense, but practical near‑disappearance of high sādhana in the general population.

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3. Is avadhi‑jñān possible in the 5th āra?

Yes. Avadhijñān is still possible in the 5th āra. We must clearly distinguish:

• Keval‑jñān & mokṣa in Bhārat – practically not available now
• Partial extraordinary knowledges like avadhijñān – still possible

Types of extraordinary knowledge (atiśaya‑jñān)

In Jain Dharma, main special knowledges are:

1. Avadhijñān – limited direct knowledge of substances beyond normal senses (mainly matter, certain regions, certain times)
2. Manaḥparyaya‑jñān – direct knowledge of others’ thoughts
3. Keval‑jñān – infinite, complete knowledge

What is impossible now in Bhārat Kṣetra (5th āra)

• New Tīrthaṅkara‑hood – not possible
• New human Keval‑jñānīs – after the early part of 5th āra, no new Kevalīs arise in Bhārat till this avasarpiṇī ends
• Hence, mokṣa from Bhārat Kṣetra for present souls is not happening now; liberation is only from places like Mahāvideh Kṣetra, where Tīrthaṅkaras are present even now.

Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara agree on this broad picture (though details of timing may differ slightly).

What is still possible in 5th āra

1. Avadhijñān continues to arise

- For devas (heavenly beings) and nārakīs (hell‑beings), avadhi‑jñān naturally occurs according to their karma. - For humans and animals, avadhijñān can arise through: - Very high level of puṇya karma - Strong saṃyama (restraint) and tapas (austerity) - Right faith and progress in guṇasthānas

Even in this 5th āra, some rare souls can attain avadhijñān.

1. Manaḥparyaya‑jñān

- Extremely rare, but in principle not denied by Jain texts for 5th āra; it depends on very high internal purity. - Practically, it is almost unseen today, but doctrinally still possible.

So, your specific question:

> Is it possible to attain avadhi gyan in 5th aara?

Answer: Yes. Avadhijñān is possible in the 5th āra. What is not happening now in our Bhārat Kṣetra is becoming a Kevalī and attaining mokṣa here. But partial extraordinary knowledge like avadhijñān can still arise in qualifying souls, especially devas and nārakīs, and in very rare, highly purified humans.

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Summary in very simple points

• We are in 5th āra (duḥṣamā) of the descending half‑cycle (avasarpiṇī).
• From the start of 5th āra in Bhārat:

- No new Tīrthaṅkara, Cakravartī, Baldeva, Vāsudeva, Prativāsudeva - No new Samavasaraṇa

• Within the 5th āra, step by step:

- Last Kevalī and Śruta‑kevalīs disappeared - Original complete Āgama tradition was lost (details differ in Digambar–Śvetāmbara, but both agree it happened in this era) - Human lifespan, strength, purity, and spiritual capacity keep declining

• Avadhijñān is still possible in 5th āra;

but Keval‑jñān and mokṣa from Bhārat are not occurring now.

For a bit more detail on the timing of the 5th āra, you can read here: