Answer

In Jain Dharma, bhāv means the inner state, intention, and mental attitude behind an action.

The three commonly explained types are:

1. Śubha Bhāv — auspicious, good, and wholesome inner feelings
2. Aśubha Bhāv — inauspicious, harmful, or impure inner feelings
3. Śuddha Bhāv — pure, selfless, and spiritually elevated inner awareness

Explanation

• Śubha Bhāv includes thoughts like kindness, devotion, compassion, charity, forgiveness, and restraint.
• Aśubha Bhāv includes anger, pride, deceit, greed, jealousy, violence, and attachment.
• Śuddha Bhāv is the highest state, where the soul remains free from passions and is focused on pure self-realization.

In Jainism, the same outer action can have different results depending on the bhāv behind it. For example:

• Giving charity with ego is not as pure as giving charity with humility.
• Fasting with pride is less spiritually effective than fasting with sincere detachment.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma places great importance on bhāv because bondage and liberation depend deeply on the state of consciousness.

• Aśubha bhāv binds karma.
• Śubha bhāv creates merit and supports spiritual progress.
• Śuddha bhāv leads the soul toward liberation.

So, in Jain practice, one should not only focus on actions, but also purify the inner intention.

Takeaway

The most important thing in Jain Dharma is: pure intention, pure thought, and pure inner feeling.

If you want, I can also explain:

• Shubh, Ashubh, and Shuddha bhav in more detail, or
• Bhav in Jain karma theory in simple language.