New Research in Jain Studies Series

New Research in Jain Studies

May 19, 2025

8:00 - 10:00 AM PDT

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, PhD Candidate, University of California, Riverside

Alba Rodríguez is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). She graduated in psychology at the University of Valencia, Spain, and completed a master’s degree in yoga studies at Loyola Marymount University with the support of the Fulbright program. Alba has worked as a mentor, counselor, and yoga teacher in different settings, from hospitals to retreat centers. She currently works as a Teacher Assistant at the Department for the Study of Religion of her home university. She is also the International Student Affairs Officer of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), where she serves as an advocate for international graduate students. Through her life, Alba has engaged in several international projects concerning human rights, combining academic and social work. She has volunteered in different organizations, such us Psychologists Without Barriers, Venice Family Clinic, Friends of the Saharawi People, and Bona Gent, Friends with People with Intellectual Disabilities. Her current research focuses on South Asian philosophical and religious traditions, with a focus on the continuities and discontinuities between traditional and contemporary forms of Jain ethical and meditation practices.

"Rethinking the History of Yoga through the Works of Yaśovijaya"

This presentation will provide an overview of my doctoral dissertation. My research focuses on Jain yoga, which remains largely underexplored despite its influence on other South Asian yoga traditions. This oversight persists even as the body of yoga literature has grown enormously in recent decades. The dissertation explores how the Jain philosopher and Tapā Gaccha monk Yaśovijaya (1624–1688) reconceptualized yoga within the Jain intellectual tradition. As the intellectual successor of Haribhadra, Yaśovijaya is widely regarded as an authoritative figure in Jainism, both historically and in contemporary thought. In several of his writings, he provides specific definitions, classifications, and interpretations of yoga, situating them within the broader framework of Jain conduct and ethics. Yaśovijaya also engages with key figures in the yoga tradition, such as Patañjali, offering a reinterpretation of their ideas through a distinctly Jain lens. The main goal of the dissertation is to rethink the history of yoga in South Asia through an early modern Jain perspective. It aims to challenge dominant narratives and bring nuance to the history of yoga in South Asia, exploring it in more dynamic and non-linear ways. Three main problematic claims in scholarship that it addresses are: (1) the assertion that the Jain religious tradition lacked a practice of meditative contemplation; (2) the assumption that Jain yogīs were exclusively renunciants, primarily focused on ascetic practices; and (3) the idea that Patañjali’s Yogasūtra held little relevance for intellectuals in medieval and early modern India, including Jain thinkers.

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.