Answer

No. Jamāli, who is traditionally described as Bhagwan Mahavir’s son-in-law and disciple, did not start a completely new religion in the way we usually understand a separate religion.

According to Jain tradition, Jamāli caused the first major doctrinal schism in Bhagwan Mahavir’s sangh. His group is generally associated with a wrong view called Bahuratavāda.

Explanation

Jamāli disagreed with Bhagwan Mahavir on a subtle philosophical point related to action and completion.

Bhagwan Mahavir’s teaching accepted that a process may be spoken of in relation to its stages from the standpoint of practical expression, while its completion is understood according to proper viewpoint.

Jamāli held the view that:

• An action should be called done only when it is fully completed.
• If it is still in progress, it should not be described as done.

This became known as Bahuratavāda in Jain tradition.

The difference was not that Jamāli rejected all Jain principles like soul, karma, liberation, non-violence, or ascetic life. Rather, the difference was mainly about right understanding of reality, expression, and viewpoint.

In Jain Dharma, truth is understood through proper viewpoints such as:

• Naya — partial viewpoints
• Anekāntavāda — many-sidedness of reality
• Syādvāda — conditional and careful expression of truth

Jamāli’s mistake, according to Jain tradition, was taking one-sided understanding as complete truth.

Spiritual Understanding

From the Jain perspective, this incident teaches that even a learned ascetic can fall into error if there is pride, rigidity, or one-sided thinking.

Bhagwan Mahavir’s Dharma emphasizes not only external renunciation but also:

• Right faith
• Right knowledge
• Right conduct
• Humility before truth

Jamāli’s difference was therefore considered a deviation from samyag darshan — right vision.

Takeaway

Jamāli did not establish a separate new religion with a distinct name like Jainism. He led an early schismatic view known as Bahuratavāda, principally differing from Bhagwan Mahavir’s Jain Dharma through a one-sided interpretation of action, completion, and truth.