Swetembar Terapanth
Encyclopedia
Svetambara
The Śvētāmbara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambar. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked...
Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
. The terapanthi sub-sect was founded by Acharya Bhikshu
Acharya Bhikshu
Acharya Bhikshu was one of the great revolutionary saints and reformer of Jainism. He was the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism....
, also known as Swami Bhikanji Maharaj. Swami Bhikanji was formerly a Sthanakvasi saint and had initiation by Acharya Raghunatha. But he had differences with his Guru on several aspects of religious practices of Sthanakvasi
Sthanakvasi
Sthānakavāsī is a sect of Jainism founded by a merchant named Lavaji about 1653 CE that believes that God is nirakar "without form", and hence do not pray to any statue...
ascetics. Hence he left the Sthanakvasi sect with the motto of correcting practise of Jain monks, eventually in Vikram Samvat 1817 i. e. on June 28, 1760 (Saturday) at Kelwa, a small town in Udaipur district
Udaipur district
Udaipur District is one of the 33 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Udaipur is the administrative headquarters of the district....
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
state, Terapanth was founded by Acharya Bhikshu
Acharya Bhikshu
Acharya Bhikshu was one of the great revolutionary saints and reformer of Jainism. He was the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism....
, the sect is non-idolatrous, and has millions of followers in many parts of the world.
Overview
As Acharya Bhikanaji laid stress on the 13 religious principles, namely, (i) five Mahavratas (great vows), (ii) five samitis (regulations) and (iii) three Guptis (controls or restraints), his sub-sect was known as the Tera (meaning thirteen)-pantha sub-sect. In this connection it is interesting to note that two other interpretations have been given for the use of the term Terapantha for the sub-sect. According to one account, it is mentioned that as there were only 13 monks and 13 laymen in the pantha when it was founded, it was called as Tera (meaning thirteen) -pantha. Sometimes another interpretation of the term Terapantha is given by its followers. Tera means yours and panthPanth
Panthan is the term used for several religious traditions in India.A panth is founded by a guru or an acharya, and is often led by scholars or senior practitioners of the tradition.Some of the major panthas in India are:...
a means path; in other words, it means,
"Oh! Lord Mahavira! it is Your path (PanthPanthPanthan is the term used for several religious traditions in India.A panth is founded by a guru or an acharya, and is often led by scholars or senior practitioners of the tradition.Some of the major panthas in India are:...
)".
Hey Prabhu Yeh Tera Panth
This practice of regulating the entire Pantha by one Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
only has become a characteristic feature of the Terapantha and an example for emulation by other Panthas. Further, the Terapantha regularly observes a remarkable festival known as Maryada Mahotasava. This distinctive festival is celebrated every year on the 7th day of the bright half of the month of Magha when all ascetics and lay disciples. He had written letter of Conduct in Rajasthani language
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
which is still being followed after 250 years with some modification as per time entacting the main base. The picture of original Letter is as below.
Terapanth is non-idolatrous and are very finely organized under the complete direction of one Acharya, that is, religious Supreme. In its history of little more than 200 years, the Terapantha had a succession of only 11 Acharyas from the founder Acharya Bhikanaji as the First Acharya to the present.
At present Acharya Mahashraman is the supreme head. He is the Eleventh Acharya of Terapanth religious sect comprising more than 850 monks, nuns, samans and samanis (a new rank between the ascetic and the lay - followers) following critical codes of disciplines, and millions of followers all over the world.
List of Acharyas chronologically
- Acharya BhikshuAcharya BhikshuAcharya Bhikshu was one of the great revolutionary saints and reformer of Jainism. He was the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism....
- Acharya Shri Bharimal
- Acharya Shri Raichand
- Acharya Shri Jeetmal
- Acharya Shri Maghraj
- Acharya Shri Manak Lal
- Acharya Shri Dalchand
- Acharya Shri Kalu Ram
- Acharya Shri TulsiAcharya TulsiAcharya Tulsi was a Jainist Acharya . He was the founder of the Anuvrata and the Jain Vishva Bharti Institute, Ladnun and the author of over one-hundred books. Dr. Radhakrishnan in his "Living with Purpose" included him in the world's 15 great persons. He was given the title "Yuga-Pradhan" in a...
- Acharya Shri Mahapragya
- Acharya Shri Mahashraman (current Head)
Chronological list of Head Nuns
- Sadhvi Sardara ji
- Sadhvi Gulaba ji
- Sadhvi Navala ji
- Sadhvi Jetha ji
- Sadhvi Kankanwar ji
- Sadhvi Jhamaku ji
- Sadhvi Lada ji
- Sadhvi KanakprabhaSadhvi KanakprabhaSadhvi Kanakprabha was born in the old capital of India Calcutta on 22 July 1941.She attended Parmarthik Shikshan Sanstha, Ladnun , at the age of 15. Her decision to lead the life of an ascetic was realised at the age of 19 after finishing her studies in Ladnun...
ji (current head)