so tirthankar vani is useless to prevent a spider from killing a fly also. Moreover the tirthankar will not touch the fly to avoid himsa and allow the spider to eat the fly and cause so much pain. The fly is caught in a trap that the all-powerful tirthank
In Jain philosophy, this conclusion is not accepted.
A Tirthankar is not “all-powerful” in the sense of controlling the world. A Tirthankar is a fully enlightened teacher who has destroyed karmas and shows the path of liberation, but does not interfere with every event in the universe. In Jainism, each soul acts under its own karmas.
Also, Jain ethics does not say that non-intervention is always equal to approval. The principle is:
- Do not commit himsa
- Do not cause himsa
- Do not approve of himsa
But in the case of a spider and a fly, a Tirthankar’s role is not to continuously “fix” every living event by force. Jainism teaches that the world is full of innumerable जीव (jiva), and if one being is saved from one harm, countless other karmic processes still continue.
Important point: A Tirthankar’s compassion is through teaching the path of ahimsa, not by personally preventing every natural or karmic event.
So calling a Tirthankar an “accomplice in murder” is not correct in Jain understanding, because:
- The Tirthankar is not the doer of the spider’s action.
- He does not command the spider to kill.
- He is not morally responsible for every karmic interaction in the universe.
- His duty is to reveal dharma, not to suspend all worldly causation.
Jainism is very strict about intentional violence. If someone knowingly causes harm, that is himsa. But not every inability to stop harm is himsa. There is a difference between:
- doing violence
- supporting violence
- being unable to prevent violence
A Tirthankar is beyond attachment and aversion, and acts from perfect equanimity. That is why Jain tradition reveres the Tirthankar as a guide to liberation, not as a cosmic manager of every event.
If you want, I can also explain this from the Jain view of karma, ahimsa, and the limits of intervention in simple terms.