In Jainism, both things are true together:

1. Fever / pain are results of karma

- Any pleasure or pain that comes to the soul is due to its own past karmas (especially vedanīya karma – karma that gives feeling of sukha/duḥkha). - So yes, at the deepest level, illness, fever, and pain appear because of karma ripening.

1. Medicine and doctor are also part of karma

- Your good karmas give you: - a human body, - access to doctors, medicines, money, - intelligence to take treatment. - So, taking a tablet is not against karma. It is actually a proper use of the good karmas you have.

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How does a tablet calm down pain or fever (in Jain view)?

Very simply, two levels are there:

(A) Dravya (physical level)

• Fever, pain, infection etc. are changes in the body (pudgal).
• Tablet is also pudgal (matter).
• When you take a medicine:

- its particles go into the body, - change some bodily processes (like heat, inflammation, nerve signals, etc.), - so the intensity of pain/fever reduces.

• This is a normal, scientific, dravya‑level cause–effect.

(B) Bhav / Karma (spiritual level)

• Why did this particular tablet work for you at this time?
• Why did you meet the right doctor or get the right medicine?
• Why does sometimes treatment fail even when all seems correct?

From Jain dharma, the answer is:

• Because of the type and duration of karma that was to give pain.
• If the karma giving pain was mild or its duration was almost finished, then:

- simple treatment works quickly.

• If karma is very strong or of long duration, then:

- even strong treatment gives only partial relief, - or works slowly.

So the tablet works as a physical instrument through which your karmic suffering gets modified, reduced, or completed.

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Then should we take medicine or just “suffer karma”?

Jain answer is clear:

• We should take sensible treatment.
• To reduce unnecessary suffering is also ahimsā towards oneself and others (family, caretakers).
• How you behave during illness is very important:

- with shanti and sveekār (acceptance) → good karma, - with anger, complaints, hatred → more bad karma.

Jain āchāryas explain:

• Karma decides that you will fall sick,
• but your present effort (puruṣārtha) decides:

- which doctor you meet, - which medicine you take, - how calmly and wisely you face the illness, - and what new karmas you bind in this process.

So:

• Illness = old karma’s fruit.
• Taking treatment, keeping positive bhāv, doing prārthanā, pratikraman = new good karma and spiritual progress.

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Simple Jain way when you get fever or pain

Along with medicine (as advised by doctor), you can:

1. Recite Navkār Mantra peacefully.
2. Remember: “This is my past karma; let it finish. May I not create new bad karma by anger or irritation.”
3. If strength allows, do short samayik or simply sit quietly and watch your thoughts and breath.
4. Avoid violence in speech: don’t shout at family, nurses, or doctors out of frustration.

This way:

• body gets help from medicine,
• soul gets help from right bhāv.

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For a related discussion on illness and treatment in Jain view, you can read more here