Here is how tapas is presented in Jain scriptures, with traditional interpretation and practical today.

Exact verse (short excerpt) from the Jain scripture

• Tattvartha Sutra 9.19 (bahya/tapas):

Anashana avamaudarya vṛttiparisaṃkhyāna rasaparityāga viviktaśayyāsana kāyakleśa Translation gist: the six external austerities (bahya tapas) are fasting, eating less than one’s appetite, restricting the types/places of food, giving up tasty or stimulating foods, living in lonely/secluded places, and bodily mortification. This is one concise statement of the external (bahya) tapas. ( wisdomlib.org)

Digambar vs. Śvetāmbara interpretations (brief, traditional note)

• Both Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions acknowledge the same twelve-tapa framework (six external, six internal) and generally agree on the purpose: to restrain desires, purify karma, and progress toward liberation.
• Minor textual wording or emphasis can differ between lineages, but the core six external items (anashana, avamodarya, vritti-saṅkṣepa, rasa-parityāga, viviktaśayyāsana, kāya-kleśa) are treated as the same category across traditions. The inner practices (prāyaścitta, vinaya, vaiyāvṛttya, svādhyāy, vyutsarga/kāyotsarga, dhyāna) are likewise recognized as the internal tapas in both traditions. For practical teaching, the differences are mostly in ritual detail, not in the essential meaning. ( wisdomlib.org)

Concise, authentic description in traditional Jain teaching formats

• External tapas (bahya tapas): six practices aimed at outer self-restraint

1) Anashana – complete fast 2) Unodari/Avamodarya – eating less than one’s appetite 3) Vritti-saṅkṣepa/Pariṣankhyāna – limiting the kinds/amounts/times/places of food 4) Rasa-parityāga – giving up tasty/stimulating foods 5) Vivikta-śayyāsana – living in lonely, simple places 6) Kāya-kleśa – bodily self-denial, postural/physical discipline

• Internal tapas (abhyantara tapas): six practices of inner discipline

7) Prāyaścitta – repentance/atonement 8) Vinaya – humility and reverence towards elders/monastics 9) Vaiyāvṛttya – selfless service, especially to ascetics and needy 10) Svādhyāy – study and reflection on sacred texts 11) Vyutsarga/Kāyotsarga – detachment from the body, quieting the mind 12) Dhyāna – right meditation on the soul This twelve-tapa framework is taught as the essential “tapas” discipline for purification. For a quick reminder, see the common twelve-tapa list in modern Jain pedagogy. ( jainknowledge.com, wisdomlib.org)

Simple, practical examples of tapas today (lay Jain and monk)

• For lay Jains

- External tapas: practice a day of reduced or mindful eating (e.g., a light bhog with no fried items), or participate in a chauvihar-style restraint (no food or drink after sunset) as allowed by your tradition; eat only what is needed and in a calm, mindful way. - Internal tapas: engage in svādhyāy (scriptural study) for a fixed time, perform short pratikraman (introspection and apology) daily or weekly, and offer seva (vaiyāvṛttya) in service to others or to monks/monasteries.

• For monks and nuns

- External tapas: follow the full set of bahya tapas as prescribed in your lineage (e.g., ayambil, chauvihār, or other agreed austerities), stay in suitable, simple abodes, and observe kāya-kleśa with disciplined postures and ascetic practices. - Internal tapas: regular scriptural study (svādhyāy), sustained meditation (dhyāna), and disciplined pratikraman-like reflection; perform vinaya with humility toward all sangha members. Notes

• The purpose of tapas is purification of the soul and reduction of karmic influx, not for show or worldly gain. It is a means to steady the mind, restrain passions, and enable clear study and right conduct.
• Always follow the Pachkan (vow statements) given by your guru/sadhvī/sādhu and the local sangh’s rules for the specific tapas you undertake.

Authentic reference pages on JainKnowledge.com

• For a concise reminder of the twelve-tapas framework (external + internal), see the overview page: types of tap.
• For practical, sect-aware guidance on specific tapas and related pachkan (vows), see pachkan for different taps.
• For context on tapas related to specific ascetic practices (e.g., chovihar/upvas), see the entries documenting these tapas and their spiritual aims.

If you’d like, I can pull specific verses from other key Jain sutras (e.g., Uttarādhyāyana Sūtra or Bhagavatsūtra) and summarize how different traditions interpret them, along with direct, short excerpts.