In Jain Dharma, roots are also very strongly prohibited, but they belong to a different technical category than mahā‑vighāy (mahā‑vigai) like honey, alcohol, butter and meat.

So it is not that roots are “lighter” or “allowed” – they are just grouped under another heading.

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1. What are Mahā‑vighāy (Mahā‑vigai)?

Classically, the 4 mahā‑vighāy are:

1. Madhu – honey
2. Madirā / Majja – alcohol / wine
3. Makhan / Navanīta – fresh butter
4. Māṁsa – meat (flesh)

Jain scriptures say:

• These are “mahā” (great) because:

- They contain uncountable living beings, often moving (trasa jīvas or countless microorganisms). - They very strongly disturb the mind – increase passions, intoxication, sensuality, and carelessness.

• So they are called “mahā‑vikṛti / mahā‑vighāy” – great perversions/degenerations – and are to be totally given up by anyone serious about vows.

They are also part of the wider group called “vigāi / vikṛti” like milk, curd, ghee, oil, jaggery, etc. You can read a brief list here .

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2. Where do roots fit in?

Roots (underground vegetables) like potato, onion, garlic, carrot, etc. are mainly classified as:

• Ananta‑kāy – bodies containing infinite souls in one physical mass
• Or sādhāraṇa vanaspati – common‑body plants with many souls sharing the same body

Because of this:

• Uprooting them kills or harms countless jīvas at once.
• The soil around them is full of tiny organisms, also harmed in the process.

So, roots are usually placed under categories like:

• Ananta‑kāy / anantakāyī bhojya – foods with infinite living beings
• Abhakṣya / uneatables – forbidden items
• Bahujīva dravya – substances with many lives

They are definitely prohibited for sādhu–sādhvī and strongly prohibited for śrāvaks who follow proper Jain diet.

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3. So why are they not called Mahā‑vighāy?

The difference is not in strictness, but in technical classification:

Mahā‑vighāy / mahā‑vikṛti:

• A special scriptural group of four specific substances:

- Honey, alcohol, fresh butter, meat.

• Emphasis on:

- Very high concentration of living beings, and - Very high disturbance of mental purity (intoxication, sensuality, strong rāga–dveṣa).

Roots:

• Put in another scriptural group:

- Ananta‑kāy (infinite-bodied), - Abhakṣya, anant‑jīvī dravya, etc.

• Emphasis on:

- Huge violence in the act of uprooting, - Many souls in one body and in the surrounding soil.

So:

• Mahā‑vighāy = a named sub‑group of ultra‑dangerous foods (honey, alcohol, butter, meat).
• Roots = a different named sub‑group of ultra‑violent foods (ananta‑kāy, etc.).

Both are severely discouraged / forbidden; they are just put under different technical headings in the āgamas and nibandhas.

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4. Do Digambar and Śvetāmbara differ here?

• Both traditions:

- Forbid roots (as ananta‑kāy / abhakṣya). - Forbid mahā‑vighāy (honey, alcohol, butter, meat).

• Wording and emphasis may differ, but:

- The 4 mahā‑vighāy remain the same, and - Roots remain in the ananta‑kāy / abhakṣya group, not in the “mahā‑vighāy” list.

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In simple words

• Roots are not called mahā‑vighāy because scriptures reserved that particular term for 4 specific items: honey, alcohol, fresh butter and meat.
• Roots are separately classified as ananta‑kāy / abhakṣya, but the level of violence is also very serious, and they are therefore strictly avoided in proper Jain practice.