Jainism may be understood as an ancient Indian path of radical non‑violence and rigorous self‑discipline, oriented toward the liberation of the soul from the cycle of rebirth. It teaches that every living being possesses an eternal soul, inherently pure yet bound by karma, which is conceived as a subtle bondage arising from actions and passions. Liberation, or moksha, is attained through the triad of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, expressed in strict ethical vows such as non‑violence, truthfulness, non‑stealing, celibacy, and non‑possessiveness. In this vision, spiritual practice is less about propitiating a creator deity and more about purifying one’s own consciousness through asceticism and moral vigilance. The emphasis on ahimsa is not merely social or ethical but metaphysical, grounded in the recognition that all souls are capable of awakening.

From within its own self-understanding, Jainism does not regard itself as a religion founded at a single historical moment by a lone originator; rather, it is seen as an eternal dharma periodically rediscovered by enlightened teachers known as Tirthankaras, “ford‑makers” who show a passage across the stream of samsara. In the present cosmic cycle, tradition speaks of twenty‑four such Tirthankaras, beginning with Rishabhanatha and culminating in Mahavira. Among these, Parshvanatha and Mahavira stand out as historically significant figures who articulated and shaped what is now recognized as Jain doctrine and community life. Mahavira, born into a noble kshatriya family, renounced worldly status, undertook severe asceticism, and, upon attaining omniscient knowledge, reorganized and systematized an already existing shramana current into a distinct Jain sangha of monks, nuns, and lay followers. In this way, Jainism took recognizable form in the broader landscape of ancient Indian religious ferment, alongside other non‑Vedic movements, while preserving its own distinctive focus on liberation through self‑purification and uncompromising non‑violence.