In Jainism, ekendriya (often written as “ekendriya jiv”) means:

One‑sensory living beings.

• “Ek” = one
• “Indriya” = sense organ

So ekendriya jiv are those souls who have only one sense – touch. They cannot see, hear, taste, or smell. They only have the sense of touch.

Jain scriptures say that the following are ekendriya jiv:

1. Prithvi‑kaya – earth‑bodied beings (soil, clay, stones etc. when life is present)
2. Ap‑kaya – water‑bodied beings (water with life)
3. Tejas‑kaya – fire‑bodied beings (flames, heat with life)
4. Vayu‑kaya – air‑bodied beings (air with life)
5. Vanaspati‑kaya – plant‑bodied beings (all plants, trees, seeds, etc.)

Because they are living souls, Jain dharma teaches that we should avoid harming them as much as possible – this is part of ahimsa.

You can read more in simple language here and here