Philosophy In Jain Agams: Purification : Gateway to Salvation

In Jain tradition, the purification of the soul has been considered as the prime cause of freedom from karmas. External outfit is not a hurdle in getting salvation. Anybody can attain salvation in any country and in any atmosphere. No external conditions stand as a barrier for the purification of the soul.

Truth is not bound to any country, time, person, environment etc. Acceptance of the fifteen types of liberated souls also endorses this truth.^[1] In the age of the āgama, this truth is expressed in many places, but in the age of logic, the voice of this truth gradually weakened.

Liberated souls are completely developed souls, hence there is no difference among them from the point of view of spiritual development. But, on the basis of their previous state, the state in which they attained liberation, they have been divided under fifteen types as follows:

1. Tīrtha siddha (Emancipated during the dominance of doctrine) -Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation after having been initiated in a religious order, founded by the ford-founder, such as chief desciples of Rishabdeva etc.
2. Atīrtha siddha- (Emancipated during the non-existense of doctrine) - Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation prior to the establishment of the fourfold religious order, such as Marudevi, the mother of Rishaba deva.
3. Tīrthañkara siddha (Emancipated as the founder of the doctrine)-Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the form of a ford - founder such as Lord Rishbha etc.
4. Atīrthañkara siddha (Emancipated as the non founder of the doctrine) -Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation as an ordinary omniscient.
5. Svayambuddha siddha (Self enlightened) - Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the state of a self enlightened ascetic.
6. Pratyekabuddha siddha (Enlightened isolately) - Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the state of an ascetic, who was initiated after becoming enlightened on account of some external cause.
7. Buddhabodhita siddha (Enlightened by a ford founder and the like)-Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation after getting enlightenment from a ford-founder and the like.
8. Strīliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in the state of a woman)- Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the embodiment of a female.
9. Puruṣaliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in the outfit of a man)- Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the embodiment of a male.
10. Napunsakaliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in the outfit of an artificial eunuch)- Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the form of a hermaphrodite who was made eunuch through emasculation, and was not so by birth, for a eunuch by birth cannot become a siddha.
11. Svaliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in an orthodox outfit)- Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the outfit of a Jain ascetic.
12. Anyaliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in an outfit of a heretic)- Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in the outfit other than that of a Jain ascetic.
13. Gṛhaliṅga Siddha (Emancipated in the outfit of a householder)-Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation in an outfit of a householder.
14. Eka Siddha (Emancipated alone)-Those liberated souls who had attained emancipation all alone at a time.
15. Aneka Siddha (Emancipated along with others) - Liberated souls who had attained emancipation, numbering two upto one hundred and eight souls at a time.^[2]

The concepts of fifteen types of liberated souls are the best examples of the wider approach of the Jain philosophy. There is not sole proprietorship of any caste, creed or gender on salvation. Every human being belonging to any caste, color, gender or creed, can achieve the highest position by practicing penance, whether he is initiated in the śramaṇa sangha (monkhood) or not, whether he is a tīrthaṅkara or an ordinary human being, whether a woman or a man, whether a householder or an ascetic etc. This maxim that gives importance to inner purification is an indicator of the greatness and vastness of Jain philosophy.