Are ants panchendriya jiv
No, according to Jain philosophy ants are not panchendriya jiv.
- Ants are classified as treindriya (three‑sensed) jiv.
- They have these three senses:
Panchendriya jiv are those with all five senses:
- Touch
- Taste
- Smell
- Sight
- Hearing
Examples of panchendriya jiv in Jain scriptures are:
- Humans
- Many animals (cows, lions, birds, fish, etc.)
- Dev (heavenly beings)
- Naraki (hellish beings)
You can read a simple explanation of sense-based jiv classification here