Jain texts

Cilappatikāram (, ), also referred to as Silappathikaram or Silappatikaram, is the earliest Tamil epic. It is a poem of 5,730 lines in almost entirely akaval (aciriyam) meter. The epic is a tragic love story of an ordinary couple, Kaṇṇaki and her husband Kōvalaṉ. The Cilappatikāram has more ancient roots in the Tamil bardic tradition, as Kannaki and other characters of the story are mentioned or alluded to in the Sangam literature such as in the Natṟiṇai and later texts such as the Kovalam Katai. It is attributed to a prince-turned-jain-monk Iḷaṅkō Aṭikaḷ, and was probably composed in the 5th

texts related to the religion of Jainism

First King of Videha (Mithila region)

one of five great Tamil epics, Jain

Uttaradhyayana or Uttaradhyayana Sutra is one of the most important and sacred books of Jains. It consists of 36 chapters, each of which deals with aspects of Jain doctrine and discipline. It is believed by some to contain the actual words of Bhagwan Mahavira (599/540 - 527/468 BCE) - the 24th Tirthankara, though scholars analyze that the current text is a composite from different dates. The Uttaradhyayana mainly concerns central Jain principles illustrated through the use of anecdotes, parables, and historical stories through 36 chapters.

Kannada-language Indian classic

Valaiyapadhi (; ), also spelled Valayapathi, is one of the five great Tamil epics, but one that is almost entirely lost. It is a story of a father who has two wives, abandons one who gives birth to their son, and the son grows up and seeks his real father. The dominant emotion of this epic is love, and its predominant object is the inculcation of Jain principles and doctrines.

The Nālaṭiyār () is a classical Tamil Jain poetic work of didactic nature, forming part of the Eighteen Lesser Texts (Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku) anthology of Tamil literature. It consists of four hundred quatrains that impart moral teachings and ethical reflections, consistent with Jain philosophical thought.This belongs to the post Sangam period corresponding to between 100 and 500 CE. Nālaṭiyār contains 400 poems, each containing four lines. Every poem deals with morals and ethics, extolling righteous behaviour.

The Siribhoovalaya () is a work of multi-lingual literature written by Kumudendu Muni, a Jain monk. The work is unique in that it employs not letters, but is composed entirely in Kannada numerals. The Saangathya metre of Kannada poetry is employed in the work. It uses numerals 1 through 64 and employs various patterns or bandhas in a frame of 729 (27×27) squares to represent alphabets in nearly 18 scripts and over 700 languages.

Samayasāra (The Nature of the Self) is a famous Jain text composed by Kundakunda an early Digambar Jain Monk, (1st BCE–2nd century CE) in 439 verses. Its ten chapters discuss the nature of Jīva (pure self/soul), its attachment to Karma and Moksha (liberation). Samayasāra expounds the Jain concepts like Karma, Asrava (influx of karmas), Bandha (Bondage), Samvara (stoppage), Nirjara (shedding) and Moksha (complete annihilation of karmas).