It is not possible to give a fixed number of such instances.

Both Hindu and Jain traditions have huge bodies of scripture and later katha‑literature, written over many centuries, and many of them retell the same historical personalities in different religious ways. So we can only speak in general, not count exactly.

From a Jain dharmic point of view, the picture is like this:

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1. Jain texts that include characters now seen as “Hindu”

Many major Jain epics and purāṇas use well‑known figures like Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Sītā, Rāvaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra, Pāṇḍavas, etc. But they are all placed inside Jain Universal History as Jain śalākā‑puruṣas (great souls), observing Jain principles.

Some important examples:

1. Jain Rāmāyaṇas

- Vimalasūri’s Paumacariya (Paümacariya / Padma‑carita) - Later Jain Rāmāyaṇas in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhraṁśa and Kannada In these, - Rāma is a Baladeva (great non‑violent hero) - Lakṣmaṇa is the Vāsudeva who actually kills Rāvaṇa - Rāvaṇa is a powerful but ultimately defeated Prativiāsudeva All are followers of Jain dharma, not worshippers of a creator‑God.

1. Jain Mahābhārata traditions

Various Jain works retell the Mahābhārata story: - The Kauravas–Pāṇḍavas, Bhīṣma, Draupadī, etc. all appear, but re‑interpreted with emphasis on ahiṁsā, karma and renunciation.

1. Harivaṁśa‑Purāṇa (Jain)

- Focuses on Neminātha (22nd Tīrthaṅkara) and includes Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and the Yādava family as central figures, related to Nemi in a Jain way.

1. Vasudevahiṇḍī and other Jain narrative texts

- Tell the stories of Vasudeva (Kṛṣṇa’s father) and other characters also known from Vaiṣṇava/Hindu traditions, but giving them a Jain ethical and karmic framing.

So, within Jain literature, there are many, many instances (literally hundreds of stories across dozens of works) where figures popularly taken as “Hindu” are fully integrated as Jain historical and spiritual characters.

You can see a simple explanation of why Jain Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata differ from Hindu versions here:

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2. Hindu texts that mention figures Jains regard as their own

From the Jain standpoint, certain names that appear in Hindu Purāṇas are actually Jain Tīrthaṅkaras and great souls, for example:

• Ṛṣabha / Ṛṣabhadeva – Jains revere him as Īkṣvāku / Ādinātha, 1st Tīrthaṅkara. Hindu texts also speak of a “Ṛṣabha” and “Bharata,” whom Jains understand as the same great beings placed differently in another religious telling.
• Nemi / Ariṣṭanemi – appears in some Hindu traditions; Jains know him as Neminātha, 22nd Tīrthaṅkara.
• Other similar name‑overlaps exist, which Jains see as their own śalākā‑puruṣas being remembered, but with a theistic/Hindu interpretation.

So from a Jain view, Hindu Purāṇas do contain names of Jain Tīrthaṅkaras and great souls, but the intention and philosophy given there is different from the Jain āgama and Jain Purāṇas.

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3. Why we cannot count “how many times”

• The epics and Purāṇas are very large.
• There are many versions (regional languages, later retellings, commentaries, etc.).
• New retellings continue to appear even in recent centuries.

Because of this, no authentic Jain ācārya or text has ever given a fixed number like “X times Hindu epics mention Jain characters” or “Y times Jain epics mention Hindu characters.” So giving a numeric count would be guesswork, which is not proper for preserving the purity of Jain knowledge.

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In simple words

• There are many instances, not just a few.
• Jain scriptures very clearly include Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Pāṇḍavas, etc., but interpret them as Jain great souls living under Jain principles.
• Hindu scriptures also mention names that Jains know as Tīrthaṅkaras and Jain heroes, but with a different philosophical background.
• Because the literature is vast and multi‑layered, no exact count is possible in an honest and traditional way.