What is gunsthanak

Gunasthana (also called gunasthān) means the stages of the soul’s spiritual progress on the path to liberation. In Jainism, the soul passes through 14 Gunasthanas, from impurity to complete omniscience and Moksha. The stages describe both belief (darśana) and conduct (charitra) as purity increases and impurities decrease. There are small differences in wording between Digambar and Śvetāmbara explanations, but the overall framework remains the same: a gradual purification leading to kevala jñāna and liberation. You can read more about this framework here .

A brief outline of the 14 Gunasthanas:

• 1) Mithyadrishti Gunasthānak — stage of delusion (false belief)
• 2) Sasvadana-samyagdrishti Gunasthānak — stage with a taste of right belief
• 3) Misradrsti — mixed belief
• 4) Avirata-samyagdrishti Gunasthānak — true belief but without self-discipline
• 5) Desavirata — partial self-control
• 6) Pramattasamyata — slight negligence in conduct
• 7) Apramattasamyata — careful, disciplined conduct
• 8) Nivrtti-badara-samparaya Gunasthānak — passions still in coarse form
• 9) Anivrutti-badara-samparaya Gunasthānak — higher purity, further purification
• 10) Sukshma-samparaya — passions in subtle form
• 11) Upāsānta-kasāya vitarāga chādmastha — subsiding passions
• 12) Ksīna-kasāya vitarāga chādmastha — annihilated passions
• 13) Sayogī kevalin — omniscience with activity
• 14) Ayogī kevalin — omniscience without activity (liberation)

Note: Some texts use slightly different names or order in Digambar vs. Śvetāmbara traditions, but the meaning and sequence are broadly aligned. For a concise Jain explanation, see the linked page.