Which of the following Jaina teachings are true:
(A) According to Jaina teachings, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma.
(B) Individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth.
(C) Monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation.
(D) Jaina monks and nuns took five vows: to abstain from killing, stealing and lying; to observe celibacy; and to abstain from possessing property.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A), (C) and (D) only
(A) According to Jaina teachings, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma. Correct. This is the starting point of Jaina teaching: karma shapes the cycle of birth and rebirth, and asceticism and penance are needed to free oneself from it.
(B) Individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth. Incorrect. This is the Buddha’s teaching: he emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain nibbana. For the Jainas, freedom from the cycle of karma needed asceticism and penance, which could be achieved only by renouncing the world.
(C) Monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation. Correct. Since freedom from karma could be achieved only by renouncing the world, monastic existence was a necessary condition of salvation.
(D) Jaina monks and nuns took five vows: to abstain from killing, stealing and lying; to observe celibacy; and to abstain from possessing property. Correct. These are the five vows of Jaina monks and nuns.
Note 1: The given answer is as per the NTA answer key. Since Mahavira, like the Buddha, also emphasised individual agency (that men and women could strive to attain liberation from worldly existence), one can argue that statement (B) also fits Jaina teachings, which would give Option (3). However, the full statement, individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth, is the account of the Buddha’s teaching, while the Jaina way out of the cycle of karma is asceticism, penance and renouncing the world. Therefore, it is the most appropriate answer.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.3 Debates and discussions … Many of these teachers, including Mahavira and the Buddha, questioned the authority of the Vedas. They also emphasised individual agency – suggesting that men and women could strive to attain liberation from the trials and tribulations of worldly existence.… 3. Beyond Worldly Pleasures: The Message of Mahavira … According to Jaina teachings, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma. Asceticism and penance are required to free oneself from the cycle of karma. This can be achieved only by renouncing the world; therefore, monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation. Jaina monks and nuns took five vows: to abstain from killing, stealing and lying; to observe celibacy; and to abstain from possessing property. 5. The Teachings of the Buddha … The Buddha emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realisation and nibbana, literally the extinguishing of the ego and desire – and thus end the cycle of suffering for those who renounced the world.…” |