Nirgranthas

E249638

Nirgranthas were the early followers of Mahavira who adhered to a strict ascetic interpretation of what later became Jainism.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Nirgranthas canonical 1
Terapanthi 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ascetic order
religious community
associatedWith Magadha
surface form: Magadha region
coreBelief karma
liberation (moksha)
rebirth
corePractice asceticism
non-violence
renunciation
cosmology belief in a beginningless universe
belief in eternal souls (jivas)
doctrine emphasis on ahimsa
emphasis on austerities
strict interpretation of Mahavira’s teachings
ethic celibacy for monks
non-attachment
non-possession
non-stealing
strict ascetic discipline
truthfulness
followed Mahavira
foundedBy Mahavira
goal attainment of kevala (omniscience)
liberation from samsara
historicalContext contemporaneous with early Buddhism
languageOfName Sanskrit
laterKnownAs Jains
mentionedIn Tripitaka
surface form: Buddhist Pali Canon
nameMeaning “free from bonds”
philosophicalOrientation ethical rigorism
non-theistic
region ancient India
rejected Vedic ritualism
authority of the Vedas
religion Jainism
religiousClassification heterodox Indian school
non-Vedic movement
religiousLaw Mahavira’s teachings
religiousRole early Jain community
religiousTradition Shramana
surface form: Śramaṇa tradition
scripturalLanguage Prakrit
socialComposition lay followers
monks
nuns
timePeriod 5th century BCE
6th century BCE
viewedAsByBuddhistTexts contemporaries of the Buddha

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mahavira followersKnownAs Nirgranthas
Svetambara hasSubtradition Nirgranthas
this entity surface form: Terapanthi