Jain tradition does not revolve around a single, all-encompassing scripture; rather, it treasures a layered canon that mirrors its disciplined and many-sided approach to truth. At the heart of this canon stand the Āgamas, regarded as the primary sacred texts and understood to be rooted in the teachings of the Tīrthaṅkaras, especially Mahāvīra. Within the Śvetāmbara tradition, these Āgamas are preserved as a structured collection that includes the Aṅgas, Upāṅgas, Chedasūtras, Mūlasūtras, Prakīrṇakas, and Cūlikāsūtras. The Aṅgas are treated as principal texts, while the Upāṅgas elaborate upon them; the Chedasūtras lay down rules of monastic discipline, and the Mūlasūtras serve as foundational works for novices. The Prakīrṇakas and Cūlikāsūtras provide shorter, auxiliary treatments of diverse topics, rounding out a canon that is both doctrinal and practical in orientation.

The two major Jain sects, Śvetāmbara and Digambara, relate to this scriptural heritage in distinct ways, and this difference itself is a window into Jainism’s inner history. Śvetāmbaras maintain that the Āgamas have been preserved, whereas Digambaras hold that the original Aṅgas were lost and therefore turn to later authoritative works. Among these, texts such as the Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama and the Kaṣāyapāhuḍa are especially revered in the Digambara lineage as ancient and foundational. This divergence does not signal a split in ultimate spiritual aims, but rather a difference in how the remembered word of the Jinas is organized and transmitted.

Alongside the canonical collections, Jainism also esteems a number of philosophical and devotional works that distill and systematize its vision of reality and the path of liberation. Foremost among these is the Tattvārtha Sūtra, a concise yet comprehensive summary of Jain philosophy that is honored across sectarian lines. Works associated with the teacher Kundakunda—such as the Samayasāra, Niyamasāra, Pravacanasāra, and Pañcāstikāya—delve deeply into the nature of the self, the structure of existence, and the disciplines required for spiritual progress, particularly within the Digambara tradition. Texts like the Dravyasaṃgraha and various Śrāvakācāras offer accessible syntheses of core doctrines and ethical guidelines for lay followers, ensuring that the ideals of non-violence, self-restraint, and clarity of insight are not confined to monastics alone.

Taken together, this scriptural constellation functions less as a mere repository of doctrines and more as a carefully graded path. The canonical Āgamas provide the framework of discipline and worldview; the later treatises refine and interpret that framework for seekers at different stages of understanding. Through this interplay of rule, reflection, and realization, the Jain scriptures guide practitioners from outward conduct rooted in ahiṃsā and self-discipline toward an ever-deepening awareness of the soul’s pure, liberated nature.