types of tap

In Jain Dharma, Tap (austerity) is of two types, totaling twelve practices:

1) External Tapas (Bahya/External – 6)

• Anashana: Fasting from food.
• Unodari (also called Avamodarya): Eating less than one’s appetite.
• Vritti‑saṅkṣepa (also called Vritti‑pari­sankhyāna): Limiting food—by items, quantity, place, time, or mode of obtaining.
• Rasa‑parityāga: Giving up tasty/stimulant foods (spices, ghee, sweets, etc.).
• Kāya‑kleśa: Willingly bearing heat, cold, posture-discipline, and other physical hardship for inner purification.
• Saṃlīnātā (some texts list Vivikta‑śayyāsana): Seclusion/modesty—reducing movement, speech, and sense‑indulgence.

2) Internal Tapas (Abhyantara/Internal – 6)

• Prāyaścitta: Repentance and atonement (pratikraman, ālochana).
• Vinaya: Humility and reverence toward elders, teachers, and sādhus-sādhvīs.
• Vaiyāvṛtya: Selfless service to ascetics and the needy.
• Svādhyāya: Scriptural study, reflection, and teaching dharma.
• Vyutsarga (Kāyotsarga): Relinquishing attachment—especially to the body; posture of stillness.
• Dhyāna: Right meditation.

Notes on tradition

• The list and meanings are common to both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions.
• Name variations occur: Unodari/Avamodarya; Vritti‑saṅkṣepa/Vritti‑pari­sankhyāna; Saṃlīnātā sometimes expressed as Vivikta‑śayyāsana in certain Digambara texts. The core intent remains the same—restraint, purification, and reduction of karmic influx.

For a concise reminder that Tap is twelve (six external + six internal), see this quick reference: For brief explanations of each austerity, see: A sutra-based overview mentioning the six external and six internal Tapas is here: