This is a list of Jain ascetics. The list include the names of ascetics who are known for their contributions to Jain philosophy and Jainism in general.
Digambara ascetics
- Acharya Samantabhadra - Author of The Ratnakaranda Ã
ÂrÃÂvakÃÂcÃÂra, ÃÂpta-mëmÃÂá¹ÂsÃÂ, Svayambhustotra
- Akalanka, c. 8th century CE. Digambara acharya known for his works on Jain logic.
- Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarti- Author of GommatsÃÂra
- Yativá¹Âá¹£abha- Author of Tiloya Panatti
- PrabhÃÂcandra
- Virasena, Digambara, 790âÂÂ825 CE
- Pujyapada
- Aparajita
- Aryanandi, 20th century Digambara acharya
- Vidyasagar, Digambara, 1946-2024
- Ganeshprasad Varni, 1874âÂÂ1961 CE. Digambara. Founder of many Jain Institutions.
- Ilango Adigal
- Jinasena, Digambara, preceptor of the Rashtrakuta rulers, 800âÂÂ880 CE.
- Jinendra Varni, 1922-1983, author of Jinendra Varni
- Gyansagar
- Kumudendu
- Manatunga composer of Bhaktamara Stotra
- Shantisagar, Digambara, 1872âÂÂ1955
- Somadeva Suri
- Acharya Deshbhushan- Jain Acharya of the 20th century
- Acharya Vidyananda - Acharya of the 20th Century
- Tarunsagarji
- Acharya Viraag sagar
- Acharya Vishudh Sagar
- Adikavi Pampa - poet, one of the "three gems of Kannada literature".
- Gyanmati
Ã
ÂvÃÂtÃÂmbara ascetics
Drawing of kalikÃÂlasarvajña Hemchandra based on Vikram Samvat 1294 palm leaf.
- KeÃ
ÂiÃ
ÂramanÃÂcharya: The 4th monk in the lineage of monastic heads of the UpkeÃ
Âa Gaccha, the lineage of Parshvanatha.
- Swayamprabhasuri: The 5th successor in the lineage of the monastic heads of the Chaturvidha Sangha's (<abbr>transl.</abbr>âÂÂfour-fold congregation) UpkeÃ
Âa Gaccha. He succeeded KeÃ
ÂiÃ
ÂramanÃÂcharya and is believed to have existed in 6thâÂÂ5th century BC. He is known for establishing the Ã
Ârëmali and PorvÃÂl clans of Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara Jains.
- Ratnaprabhasuri: The 6th successor in the lineage of the monastic heads of the Chaturvidha Sangha's (<abbr>transl.</abbr>âÂÂfour-fold congregation) UpkeÃ
Âa Gaccha. He succeeded Swayamprabhasuri and is believed to have existed in 6thâÂÂ5th century BC. He is most well-known as the founder of the OswÃÂl clan of Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara Jains.
- Vimalsuri- a 3rd century Jain monk of the Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara Murtipujaka sect. He is best known for his composition "Paumachariyam", the earliest known Jain version of the Ramayana and the oldest work of literature written in Maharashtri Prakrit.
- Devardhi Ksamashramana-Mainly known for his notable contributions revolve around the preservation of Jain scriptures, especially at the second Jain councils of Vallabhi held in 453 AD.
- Siddhasena Divakara-a jain monk of the Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara sect in the fifth century CE who wrote works on Jain philosophy and epistemology. He is credited with the authorship of many Jain scriptures. Sanmatitarka (âÂÂThe Logic of the True DoctrineâÂÂ) is the first major Jain work on logic written in Sanskrit. Among the most popular of his works, the Kalyan Mandir Stotra is a Sanskrit hymn dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanatha.
- Hemachandra,a 12th century () Indian Jain saint,One of the prominent authors of Jain Scriptures,scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, , law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contemporaries, he gained the title kalikÃÂlasarvajña, "the knower of all knowledge in his times" and father of the Gujarati language.
- Mahopadhya Yasovijayaji-a seventeenth-century Jain philosopher-monk, was a notable Indian philosopher and logician. He was a thinker, prolific writer and commentator who had a strong and lasting influence on Jainism.
- Vijayanandsuri - Vijayanand Suri also known as Atmaramji of Gujranwala, was the first Swetambar Murtipujaka Jain monk in modern times to receive the title of Acharya. Born and raised in Punjab, he was initiated as a Sthanakvasi monk and later joined the Murtipujaka tradition. He travelled extensively in Gujarat, Rajputana and Punjab; he organised and reformed Jain community, ascetic orders and literature. He wrote several books in Hindi and was invited to the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893 which was attended by Virchand Gandhi later.
- Jambuvijaya
- Vallabhsuri
- Jinaratnasuri
- Ram Chandra Suri, Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara, Samvat 1952âÂÂ2047
- Anand Rishiji Maharaj
- Andayya - Kannada poet
- Haribhadra - 12th century philosopher
- Ranna - poet, one of the "three gems of Kannada literature".
- Sri Ponna - poet, one of the "three gems of Kannada literature". He was honoured by the title Kavichakravarthi for his prowess and domination of the Kannada literary circles at that time.
- Sthulabhadra
- Bhikshu, 1726âÂÂ1803 CE. Creator of Terapanthi sect of Jainism.
- Haribhadra, c. 7th century CE. Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara.
- Hiravijaya,(belonging to the Tapa Gaccha tradition of Ã
ÂvetÃÂmbara Jains) who influenced the Mughal Emperor Akbar to give up eating meat.
- Acharya Mahaprajna - Acharya of Terapanth sect
- Kalapurnasuri
- Daulatsagarsuri (1920âÂÂ2024) - a Jain ascetic, philosopher, and a revered saint. He was the head of the monastic order (Gacchadhipati) of the "Sagar Samudaay" of the Tapa Gaccha. While he was alive, he was the preceptor of 900 monks and nuns. He was awarded the rarest of the rare and ancient title of "Shri Sangh Sthavir" based on his austerity, knowledge of the canonical scriptures of Jainism, and spiritual leadership, becoming the only second of the modern Jain ascetics to have achieved this feat.
- Rashtrasant Yugdivakar Pujya Param Gurudevshri Namramuni Maharajsaheb
- Acharya Rajendrasuri - Acharya of the 20th century
- Acharya Mahasharman - 11th Acharya of Jain Swetamber Terapanth Community.
- Acharya Vijay Vallabh suri
- Vimalsagarsuri - Acharya of the 21st century
- Gyanvimalsuri
Notes
References