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  • what types of "Jains" are there, other than Gujrati or Marwari
  • author Posted by
    Jain Follower

    what types of "Jains" are there, other than Gujrati or Marwari

    6 months ago 297

    When people say “Gujarati Jain” or “Marwari Jain”, they are talking about community / region, not about type of Jain dharma.

    From the point of view of Jain religion itself, main types are:

    1. By way of life

    • Śrāvak / Śrāvikā – Jain householders (family life, business, job, etc.).
    • Sadhu / Sadhvi (Śramaṇa) – Jain monks and nuns who have taken full renunciation.

    2. By main sect (panth)

    Across India (Gujarati, Marwari, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Kannadiga, etc.) Jains are mainly of two traditions:
    1. Digambar

    - “Sky‑clad” monks (no clothes, symbol of total renunciation). - Separate set of scriptures and some different beliefs (for example about women’s moksha).

    1. Śvetāmbara (Shwetambar)

    - Monks and nuns wear white clothes. - Accept a different canon of scriptures and have slightly different views/practices.

    3. Sub‑sects inside Śvetāmbara

    Common ones:
    • Mūrtipūjak (Deravasi) – worship idols in temples.
    • Sthānakvāsī – no idol worship, simple halls (sthanak), more focus on meditation and pravachan.
    • Terāpanthī (Śvetāmbara) – non‑idolatrous, very organized under one Āchārya.

    4. Sub‑sects inside Digambar

    Some known groups:
    • Bispanthi
    • Terapanthi (Digambar, different from Śvetāmbara Terapanth)
    • Taranpanthi
    • Gumanpanthi, etc.

    So, apart from Gujarati or Marwari (which are just regional communities like Kutchi, Rajasthani, Kanara, Agrawal, Oswal, Humad, Sarawagi/Sarogi, etc.), in dharma terms Jains are mainly:

    • Śvetāmbara (with Mūrtipūjak, Sthānakvāsī, Terāpanthī, etc.)
    • Digambar (with their own internal traditions)
    • And within each, householders (śrāvaks) and renunciants (sadhus–sadhvīs).

    You can read more in simple language here: Shwetambar & Digambar overview Sub‑categories of Shwetambar & Digambar

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