New Research in Jain Studies Series

New Research in Jain Studies

May 19, 2025

8:00 - 10:00 AM PDT

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Presiding: John Cort, Denison University

John E. Cort is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Denison University, where he also taught in the East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies and International Studies programs. He is the author and editor of many books and articles on religion, history, literature, society and culture in western India, with a focus on the Jains. Most recently, he co-edited Brill’s Encyclopedia of Jainism with Paul Dundas, Knut A. Jakobsen and Kristi L. Wiley (2020).

New Research in Jain Studies

Presenter: Maja Sevenant, Master in the Arts, University of Ghent, Belgium

Maja Sevenant recently graduated with a Master in the Arts of Oriental languages and cultures of India at the University of Ghent, Belgium. As an Indologist at the beginning of her academic career, she takes interest in South Asian goddess traditions. Currently, she specialises in Jain goddess worship, more specifically the worship traditions of Jvālāmālinī and Saccikā. She has broader interests in Sanskrit literature, iconography, and interactions between Hindus and Jains that shaped South Asian goddess traditions.

"Fierceness and ahiṃsa embodied by Jain goddesses"

Jain goddess traditions have deep roots in the history of the Jains. Two fierce goddesses are Jvālāmālinī, worshipped in Karnāṭaka, and Saccikā, from Rājasthān and Gujarāt. They share a fierce imagery that clearly relates to the well-known Mahiṣāsuramardinī iconography from Hindu traditions. My aim is to reveal how this fierce, even violent, Hindu iconography was incorporated into the Jain context, where ahiṃsā is a fundamental principle. Addressing this question requires exploring the dynamic interactions between Jains and non-Jains, particularly the influences of Hindu goddess traditions and Hindu Tantra traditions. Despite the distinct backgrounds of Jvālāmālinī and Saccikā, both are depicted similarly within Jain worship traditions. In this study, Jvālāmālinī and Saccikā are considered gateways to gaining insight into the versatility of Jain traditions and the fluid nature of South Asian traditions in general.

Presenter: Jyoti Agarwal, PhD Candidate, Emory University, Atlanta

Jyoti Agarwal is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Religion at Emory University, Atlanta. She completed her M.Phil. degree at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2021). She received a bachelor’s degree in History from Delhi University (2017) and a master’s degree in Medieval History from CHS, JNU, New Delhi (2019). Her research interests include Early Modern South Asia, Regional Histories, Religious Mobilities, Jain Pilgrimages, Mughals, and Connected Histories of South Asia.

"Sacred Journeys: Śikharjī, Jains, and Mughals in Jharkhand, 1600–1800"

This research examines the Jain pilgrimage to Parasnath Hill or Śikharjī (located in the present-day Giridih district of Jharkhand), one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Jainism. It argues that this pilgrimage is not merely a religious journey. It historically enabled Jains to map sacred geography that transcended regional boundaries, connecting distant communities through shared spirituality and patronage networks. The study explores how religious mobility created fluid spaces where Jain ascetics, merchants, local rulers, and Indigenous communities interacted, negotiated, and redefined their relationships—spiritually, politically, and economically.

This research mainly focuses on the late sixteenth to eighteenth centuries to understand how pilgrimage intersected with processes of Mughal state formation. It highlights how the Jain pilgrimage was not an isolated religious practice but a dynamic process that shaped patterns of mobility, economic exchange, and regional identity, particularly in ‘Jharkhand,’ a region often overlooked in scholarships. It situates the Jain pilgrimage within larger historiographical discussions on sacred geographies, religious patronage, and the intersections of state and spiritual authority in early modern South Asia.

Presenter: Alba Rodríguez Juan, University of California, Riverside

Alba Rodríguez Juan is a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She earned her MA in Yoga Studies from Loyola Marymount University with the support of a Fulbright scholarship. Her research explores South Asian philosophical and religious traditions, with a focus on the continuities and discontinuities between traditional and contemporary forms of Jain ethical and meditation practice.

The Jain Yogas of Yaśovijaya

This presentation will provide an overview of my dissertation project. I explore Yaśovijaya’s reconceptualization of yoga in the 17th century. Focusing on his Dvātriṃśaddvātriṃśikā (DD)—Thirty-Two [Chapters] with Thirty-Two [Verses]—a compendium on Jain conduct, I show how Yaśovijaya reinterprets earlier Jain yoga models and engages critically with non-Jain sources like Patañjali’s Yogasūtra. However, rather than merely criticizing ideas from other traditions, he integrates and reshapes them within a distinctly Jain framework. The DD offers a rich example of early modern intellectual exchange, challenging claims that there was no interest in texts like the Yogasūtra in 17th-century India. Today, the DD continues to be studied by Jain mendicants, reflecting its lasting relevance. By highlighting Yaśovijaya’s contributions, my dissertation project expands our understanding of yoga’s diverse histories and calls for greater inclusion of Jain voices in the study of yoga.

Presenter: Achyut Jain, Assistant Professor, Jain University, Bangalore

Achyut Kant Jain is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Jain Studies, Jain University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He earned his PhD from Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, Ladnun, Rajasthan in August 2024, and holds the UGC NET-JRF qualification.

"The Dynamics of Dravyaliṅga and Bhāvaliṅga in Jain Soteriology: A Guṇasthāna Perspective"

This study explores the understudied concepts of dravyaliṅga (physical/outer sign) and bhāvaliṅga (psychical/inner sign) in Jain soteriology, focusing on their application to the spiritual status of sādhus. While these concepts are central to both Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions, their precise definitions and interpretations remain ambiguous. Through a systematic analysis of textual sources, this research investigates how the concept of dravyaliṅga and bhāvaliṅga sādhu relate to the theory of guṇasthāna (stages of spiritual development) and their role in the path to liberation. Key question addressed include: How do Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions interpret dravyaliṅga and bhāvaliṅga, and what are the implications for spiritual progression? The study critically examines whether the observance of major vows (mahāvrata) alone suffices for attaining the sixth and seventh guṇasthāna stages, shedding light on the interplay between dravyaliṅga and bhāvaliṅga in ascetic practice. By focusing on their significance in relation to guṇasthāna, this research aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Jain asceticism and soteriology.

Presenter: Aashi Jain, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa, Canada

Aashi Jain is a Ph.D. candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada, focusing on the intersection of religion, ethics, and end-of-life decision-making. Her research examines the Jain ritual practice of Sallekhana, a voluntary fasting to death, analyzing its implications for contemporary bioethical discussions on autonomy, dignity, and palliative care. Jain earned her Master of Arts from Florida International University, where she investigated the medicalization of Jain faith-based healing practices through the Bhaktāmara Stotra. Since 2022, she has been an active volunteer with Dying with Dignity Canada, engaging with ethical issues surrounding end-of-life care.

"Navigating Religious & Ethical Decision Making at the End of Life: Reflections on the Jain Tradition"

End-of-life decision-making is often framed as a dichotomy between religious and secular binary. However, both perspectives engage with notions of the sacred through different ethical and ontological frameworks. This presentation examines the Jain practice of sallekhanā—ritual fasting to death—alongside Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED), analyzing how these practices reflect distinct yet intentional responses to mortality. Drawing on canonical Jain texts such as the Bhagavatī Ārādhanā and Uttarādhyayana Sūtra, this study situates Sallekhana within a soteriological framework in which bodily renunciation embodies nonviolence (ahimsā) and facilitates spiritual liberation (mokṣa). In contrast, secular frameworks like MAID emphasize bodily sovereignty, autonomy, and the alleviation of suffering as core ethical imperatives. While biomedical ethics generally prioritize life preservation, Sallekhana challenges these assumptions by framing death as a transition necessary for the soul’s release from karmic bondage. Based on ethnographic research among Jain communities and MAID advocates, this research will conceptualize how religion, humanism, and civic identity shape meaning-making structures, challenging conventional classifications of the sacred and secular in end-of-life ethics.