In Jain philosophy there is no contradiction here, because:

1. At the time of the marriage procession, Neminath was not yet Kevali.

- He was a Tirthankar‑pratima soul (future Tirthankar), with very high purity and extraordinary compassion. - But Keval‑jnān (infinite, complete knowledge of all modes of all substances – past, present, future) arises only when the jñānāvaraṇiya karma is completely destroyed. - This destruction and the rise of Keval‑jnān happens after renunciation and intense tapas, not while living as a worldly prince.

1. “He had all jñāns except Keval‑jnān” – what does that actually mean?

- Jain texts describe different types of knowledge: - Mati‑jnān – sense & mind-based knowledge - Śruta‑jnān – scriptural knowledge - Avadhi‑jnān – limited clairvoyance - Manahparyaya‑jnān – knowing others’ thoughts (at higher stages) - Keval‑jnān – perfect, infinite knowledge - A very advanced soul like Neminath Bhagwan may have higher knowledges like avadhi‑jnān, but that is still limited (restricted by range, objects, and karmas). - So it is not that he was already functioning like a Kevali and “knowing everything that will happen” in detail. That state comes only with Keval‑jnān.

1. Why did he turn back from the wedding?

All Jain traditions agree on the core point: - When the marriage procession was going, Neminath saw or heard the animals tied and kept to be slaughtered for the wedding feast. - Their fear and pain deeply touched his heart. - His natural anukampā (compassion) and long‑standing vairāgya (detachment) became fully awake at that direct sight. - That moment became the nimit (external trigger) for a decision that was already ripe in his inner self from countless previous births. - He immediately thought: “How can I be the cause of so much killing and fear? I do not want any happiness that depends on the suffering of others.” - Therefore he turned back, renounced the world, and soon accepted dīkshā.

1. “If he was so great, shouldn’t he have known earlier?”

From the Jain viewpoint: - Great souls still follow the law of karma and stages of spiritual development (guṇasthānaks). - Even if some limited advance knowledge was there, events still need a visible, concrete nimit for full inner resolve to manifest. - The darśan‑mohanīya and karma‑mohanīya karmas are only completely destroyed at Keval‑jnān. Before that, there is still a sequence in which insight, feeling, and decisions arise. - So there is nothing illogical: - Neminath was extraordinarily pure and compassionate. - When he directly saw the animals’ suffering, that became the final turning point. - After renunciation and spiritual practice, then Keval‑jnān arose.

1. Digambar and Śvetāmbara views

- Both traditions narrate that Bhagwan Neminath turned back from his wedding on seeing animals kept for slaughter. - They may differ in details (exact number of animals, some storyline elements), but the meaning is the same: - Boundless compassion - Non‑violence taken to its highest level - Renunciation when faced with the suffering of other beings

So, Neminath Bhagwan did not “already have Keval‑jnān and then get shocked.” Rather: he was a supremely advanced but still worldly prince. The direct sight of violence became the final cause (nimit) for his long‑prepared renunciation, and only later, after dīkshā and spiritual effort, did his Keval‑jnān manifest.