In Jainism there is no creator God who made or controls the universe. But we still say “Bhagwan Mahavir,” “Bhagwan Parshvanath,” etc. This can feel confusing, so let’s separate two ideas:

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1. Jain view of “God” (creator)

• Jain Dharma says the universe is beginningless and endless.
• There is no one supreme being who creates, maintains, or destroys everything.
• Every soul (jiva) is responsible for its own karma and liberation.

So in this sense, “God” as a creator / controller does not exist in Jain philosophy.

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2. Then why call Tirthankars “Bhagwan”?

In Jainism:

• Tirthankar = a special enlightened soul who:

- has destroyed all ghatiya karmas, attained keval-jnan (omniscience), - and shows the path of liberation to others (makes a “tirth” – a ford – across samsar). ( jainknowledge.com)

• Bhagwan = a title of deep respect and reverence, like “Blessed Lord” or “Exalted One”.

- We use it for Tirthankars, and sometimes for other fully enlightened beings (Arihant, Siddha). ( jainknowledge.com)

So:

• All Tirthankars are called “Bhagwan”,

- not because they are creator gods, - but because they are perfected souls who have: - completely destroyed anger, pride, deceit, greed, - attained infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy, - and shown us the way to moksha. ( jainknowledge.com)

You can think of it like this:

> Jainism has no creator God, > but it has perfected souls (Arihant, Siddha) who are worthy of the highest reverence. > We respectfully call them “Bhagwan”.

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3. Digambar and Shwetambar view

Both Digambar and Shwetambar traditions agree that:

• There is no creator God.
• Tirthankars are human souls who, by their own effort over many lives, become Arihant and then Siddha.
• We say “Bhagwan Mahavir,” “Bhagwan Rishabhdev,” etc. as an expression of bhakti (devotion) and respect, not as belief in a creator-deity.

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4. Short, simple summary

• Jainism: no creator, no controller God.
• Tirthankars = enlightened teachers who found and teach the path to liberation.
• We say “Bhagwan” to honor their perfect qualities and enlightenment,

not to make them into creators of the world.

You can read more about who a Tirthankar is here: