Jain Image Worship and Hagiographical Literature

Abstract

Jain image worship has been mainly performed for statues of Tīrthaṃkaras and other figures in Jain temples. Most of the objects of worship represent some of the 24 Tīrthaṃkaras, such as Rishabha, Nemi and Pārśva. It is still unclear whether this kind of worship ritual existed from the beginning of Jainism, or whether the Jains introduced image worship from an external religious tradition. However, we can trace it in the literature to the 5th-7th century.

On the other hand, sixty-three great men, including the Tīrthaṃkaras and other essential figures based on the Jain tradition, have been described in the Jain hagiographical Carita literature. We can assume that hagiographies and image worship shared a similar tendency in their development, because both Carita literature and image worship targeted Tīrthaṃkaras and other saints.

This paper examines the changes in the treatment of saints in Jainism based on the descriptions of image worship in the Jain scriptural and Carita literature.