- 1. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that emphasizes non-violence towards all living beings, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-attachment. Followers of Jainism, known as Jains, believe in the concept of ahimsa (non-violence) as the highest moral value. Jains also strive to live a simple life, practice meditation, and focus on self-discipline to attain spiritual liberation. The core teachings of Jainism revolve around the principles of karma, reincarnation, and the pursuit of enlightenment to break the cycle of birth and death. Jainism has a rich tradition of philosophical and ethical teachings, as well as a strong emphasis on compassion and respect for all forms of life.
What is the religious text of Jainism called?
A) Vedas
B) Puranas
C) Agamas
D) Ramayana
- 2. Jainism originated in which country?
A) Sri Lanka
B) India
C) Japan
D) China
- 3. Which of the following is one of the core principles of Jainism?
A) Non-violence
B) Sacrifice
C) Cannibalism
D) Idol worship
- 4. What is the name of the festival that marks the birth of Mahavira?
A) Navratri
B) Diwali
C) Holi
D) Mahavir Jayanti
- 5. What is the purpose of the Jain practice of 'Pratikramana'?
A) To offer sacrifices
B) To repent for sins
C) To celebrate festivals
D) To achieve fame
- 6. Jainism teaches the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, known as:
A) Dharma
B) Nirvana
C) Karma
D) Samsara
- 7. Jain monks and nuns are known as:
A) Gurus
B) Pandits
C) Sadhus and Sadhvis
D) Rishis
- 8. Which of the following is a pilgrimage site important to Jains?
A) Agra
B) Konark Sun Temple
C) Taj Mahal
D) Shatrunjaya
- 9. How many tirthankaras are recognized in Jainism?
A) Twelve
B) Twenty-four
C) Fifty-one
D) Thirty-two
- 10. What is the ultimate spiritual goal of Jain philosophy?
A) Bodhi
B) Siddhi
C) Nirvana
D) Moksha (liberation from karma)
- 11. Which ethical principle in Jainism emphasizes non-absolutism or many-sided reality?
A) Aparigraha
B) Anekāntavāda
C) Ahimsa
D) Satya
- 12. What does the vow of aparigraha require monks to do?
A) Wear special garments
B) Pray daily for forgiveness
C) Renounce all property
D) Fasting every week
- 13. Which historical figure is considered the first tirthankara in Jainism?
A) Mahavira
B) Pārśvanātha
C) Buddha
D) Rishabhanatha
- 14. Who was the contemporary of Buddha and a central figure in the Śramaṇa movement?
A) Gautama
B) Mahavira
C) Rishabhanatha
D) Pārśvanātha
- 15. Which Jain festival is also known as das lakshana?
A) Diwali
B) Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
C) Paryushana
D) Akshaya Tritiya
- 16. What does the term 'jain' mean?
A) Spiritual teacher
B) Bondless wanderer
C) Follower of the conquerors
D) Ascetic practitioner
- 17. Which ethical pillar of Jainism involves nonviolence?
A) Ahiṃsā
B) Anekāntavāda
C) Satya
D) Aparigraha
- 18. Which sub-tradition in Jainism is known as 'sky-clad'?
A) Digambaras
B) Vaishnavas
C) Śvētāmbaras
D) Shaivas
- 19. What does the term 'jina' mean in Jainism?
A) Conqueror
B) Ascetic
C) Follower
D) Teacher
- 20. Which of the following is not one of the three jewels (ratnatraya) in Jainism?
A) Samyak charitra
B) Samyak tapas (correct asceticism)
C) Samyak gyana
D) Samyak darśana
- 21. Which vow requires Jains to always speak the truth?
A) Satya
B) Aparigraha
C) Asteya
D) Brahmacharya
- 22. What does 'asteya' mean in Jainism?
A) Not stealing
B) Non-violence
C) Non-possessiveness
D) Celibacy
- 23. Which vow is associated with abstinence from sex and sensual pleasures for Jain monks and nuns?
A) Asteya
B) Satya
C) Ahiṃsā
D) Brahmacharya
- 24. What is the significance of 'samyak darśana'?
A) Belief in ascetic practices
B) Right knowledge and understanding of self
C) Right vision or faith in Jain teachings
D) Correct conduct consistent with teachings
- 25. Which vow is related to non-attachment to material possessions?
A) Aparigraha
B) Asteya
C) Satya
D) Brahmacharya
- 26. Which tradition involves ascetics as wandering mendicants?
A) Śvētāmbara tradition
B) Digambara tradition
C) Buddhist tradition
D) Vedic tradition
- 27. Which tattva describes the living, sentient soul?
A) Ajīva
B) Āsrava
C) Bandha
D) Jīva
- 28. How many potential birth-situations does Jainism describe for the unliberated soul?
A) 12.
B) 1,000.
C) 42 million.
D) 8.4 million.
- 29. How many realms or lokas are there in Jain cosmology?
A) Infinite realms.
B) Two: heaven and hell.
C) Four: including a realm for gods.
D) Three: Urdhva Loka, Madhya Loka, Adho Loka.
- 30. Which realm in Jain cosmology is inhabited by humans, animals, and plants?
A) Urdhva Loka.
B) Adho Loka.
C) A separate human realm.
D) Madhya Loka (middle world).
- 31. How does Jainism view the five vows for monks and nuns?
A) They are flexible guidelines that can be interpreted in various ways.
B) They are strict requirements with no 'perhaps' about them.
C) They promote a benign attitude towards other ethical positions.
D) They are optional depending on individual beliefs.
- 32. Which additional means of knowledge is sometimes included by some Jain texts?
A) Intuition
B) Analogy (upamana)
C) Meditation
D) Divine revelation
- 33. Who are considered perfect enlightened souls with a body in Jainism?
A) Bodhisattvas
B) Tirthankaras
C) Arihants (victors)
D) Siddhas (liberated souls)
- 34. What type of beings are worshipped by heavenly, earthly, and hellish beings in Jainism?
A) Liberated beings
B) Tirthankaras
C) Celestial beings
D) Arihants
- 35. Which tirthankara is considered a historical figure and likely founded a proto-Jain ascetic community?
A) Mahavira
B) Rishabhanatha
C) Neminatha
D) Parshvanatha
- 36. Who was the contemporary of Mahavira and a founder of another major Indian religion?
A) Krishna
B) Rama
C) The Buddha
D) Vasudeva
- 37. Which dynasty's kings were patrons of Jainism?
A) Chola dynasty
B) Haryanka dynasty
C) Maurya dynasty
D) Gupta dynasty
- 38. How did Chandragupta Maurya die according to Jain tradition?
A) In battle
B) Of natural causes
C) By poisoning
D) By fasting at Shravanabelagola
- 39. What is required for a soul to attain enlightenment and liberation in Jainism?
A) An animal body
B) A human body
C) A celestial body
D) A hellish body
- 40. Which king's inscription at Udayagiri Caves provides early evidence for Jainism?
A) Emperor Ashoka
B) King Kharavela
C) Nanda dynasty king
D) Chandragupta Maurya
- 41. What is associated with each of the twenty-four tirthankaras?
A) Bronze images
B) Ayagapata tablets
C) Cosmological diagrams
D) Distinctive emblems
- 42. Which Mughal emperor was known for making patronage and grants to Jain pilgrimage sites?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Babur
C) Jahangir
D) Humayun
- 43. Which text is attributed to Acharya Bhutbali?
A) Tattvarthasūtra
B) Samayasara
C) Kasayapahuda
D) Shatkhandagama
- 44. What did the British colonial government in India promote while passing laws against roaming naked?
A) Abolition of all religious practices
B) Conversion to Christianity
C) Religious tolerance
D) Complete religious freedom without restrictions
- 45. Which supreme beings are worshipped in the six essential duties (avashyakas) for śrāvakas?
A) Trimurti
B) Avatars
C) Pañca-Parameṣṭhi
D) Devas
- 46. How many outer austerities are often repeated in later Jain texts?
A) Four
B) Six
C) Eight
D) Ten
- 47. What is offered in Jain temples on Diwali morning?
A) Diya
B) Rice pudding
C) Sweets
D) Nirvan Ladoo
- 48. What vow do Jain monks and advanced laypeople observe by eating only once a day?
A) Satya-vrata
B) Ratri-bhojana-tyaga-vrata
C) Asteya-vrata
D) Ahimsa-vrata
- 49. What symbolizes non-possession even of clothes in Jain ascetic life?
A) Fasting
B) Nakedness
C) Penance
D) Body mortification
- 50. Which tirthankara is predominantly worshipped by Digambara Jains?
A) Parshvanatha
B) Bahubali
C) Neminatha
D) Mahāvīra
- 51. What is the ultimate ritual in Jainism that involves ascetic abandonment?
A) Sallekhana
B) Abhisheka
C) Puja
D) Darsana
- 52. Which Mughal emperor desecrated Jain religious shrines most notably?
A) Humayun
B) Aurangzeb
C) Jahangir
D) Akbar
- 53. Who greatly influenced Mahatma Gandhi's understanding of Ahiṃsā?
A) Shrimad Rajchandra.
B) Chandanaji.
C) Kanji Swami.
D) Dada Bhagwan.
- 54. Which sect believes that women can achieve liberation through asceticism?
A) Kushan
B) Yapaniyas
C) Śvētāmbara
D) Digambara
- 55. What phrase do Jains use to ask for forgiveness during Paryushana?
A) "Micchami Dukkadam"
B) "Jai Jinendra"
C) "Namaste"
D) "Ram Ram"
- 56. Which mantra is broadly accepted across various sects of Jainism?
A) Five homage (panca namaskara)
B) Gayatri Mantra
C) Om Mani Padme Hum
D) Hare Krishna Mantra
- 57. Who more commonly observes fasting among laypeople in Jainism?
A) Men
B) Children
C) Elders
D) Women
- 58. Under whose influence did Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana become a Vaishnavite?
A) Alauddin Khalji
B) Muhammad bin Tughluq
C) Acharya Mahasena
D) Ramanuja
- 59. What does samayika connotate for a Jain householder?
A) Assuming temporary ascetic status
B) Attending temple services
C) Permanent renunciation
D) Daily meditation
- 60. What is the four-fold order of Jain monastic organization called?
A) Tantras
B) Vedas
C) Sangh
D) Upanishads
- 61. What do Jain householders spread for birds as an act of charity?
A) Clothes
B) Medicine
C) Water
D) Grain
- 62. Which Pallava king converted from Jainism to Shaivism?
A) Āma
B) Mularaja
C) Harshavardhana
D) Mahendravarman I
- 63. Which text is the oldest known Digambara Jain text attributed to Acharya Pushpdanta?
A) Samayasara
B) Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra
C) Kasayapahuda
D) Niyamasara
- 64. What is the term for practicing serenity and meditation in Jainism?
A) Samayika
B) Yoga
C) Dhyana
D) Pranayama
- 65. Which emperor mentioned Niganthas in his pillar edicts?
A) Bindusara
B) King Kharavela
C) Emperor Ashoka
D) Chandragupta Maurya
- 66. Who are the male ascetics in Jainism?
A) Śrāvaka
B) Sadhvi
C) Śrāvikā
D) Sadhu (muni)
- 67. Which group is believed to have originated from the Ardhaphalaka?
A) Kushans
B) Yapaniyas
C) Śvētāmbaras
D) Digambaras
- 68. What is a moolnayak in a Jain temple?
A) The primary deity image
B) A type of ritual
C) A ceremonial staff
D) A sacred scripture
- 69. Which language do Śvētāmbara Jains believe the spoken scriptural language to be?
A) Prakrit
B) Ardhamagadhi
C) Sanskrit
D) Pali
- 70. Which temple marks the revival of Jainism in South India during the eighth century?
A) Mangi-Tungi Caves
B) Kazhugumalai Temple
C) Badami Caves
D) Ellora Caves
- 71. What type of votive tablet is used in early Jainism for donation and worship?
A) Ayagapata
B) Samavasarana
C) Kahavaali
D) Tiloyapannati
- 72. Who became the first Jain woman to receive the title of Acharya in 1987?
A) Shrimad Rajchandra.
B) Dada Bhagwan.
C) Chandanaji.
D) Kanji Swami.
- 73. What type of diet do devout Jains practice?
A) Lacto-vegetarianism
B) Pescatarian
C) Ovo-vegetarianism
D) Veganism
- 74. Which Tirthankara do Śvētāmbaras believe was female?
A) Parshvanatha
B) Māllīnātha
C) Mahavira
D) Rishabhanatha
- 75. Which museum houses the earliest known Jain image?
A) British Museum, London
B) Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai
C) Indian Museum, Kolkata
D) Patna Museum
- 76. Who predicted a twelve-year famine in Magadha according to the Digambara tradition?
A) Mahavira
B) Sivabhuti
C) Sthulabhadra
D) Acharya Bhadrabahu
- 77. What are yakshas and yakshinis in Jain art?
A) Forms of meditation postures
B) Attendant spirits who guard the tirthankara
C) Distinctive emblems of tirthankaras
D) Types of votive tablets
- 78. What type of tablets were found at Kankali Tila, indicating early Jain community organization?
A) Edicts of Ashoka
B) Stele inscriptions
C) Ayagapatas (votive tablets)
D) Manuscripts of the Agamas
- 79. Which ancient Jain monument is located near Bhelsa (Vidisha)?
A) Dilwara Temples
B) Palitana Temples
C) Udaigiri Hills
D) Ellora Caves
- 80. What type of Jain Tirtha is Mahavirji considered to be?
A) Gyanakshetra
B) Atishayakshetra
C) Puranakshetra
D) Siddhakshetra
- 81. What do Śvētāmbara monastics wear?
A) No clothes at all
B) Unstitched plain white sarees
C) Colorful garments
D) Simple, seamless white robes
- 82. Which Jain Tirtha is the site of moksha for Mahaveera?
A) Pawapuri
B) Shikharji
C) Palitana
D) Girnar
- 83. Which Mughal emperor ravaged the fort of Chittor and ordered the destruction of several Jain shrines in 1567?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Akbar
C) Jahangir
D) Babur
- 84. Who represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893?
A) Virchand Gandhi
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Champat Rai Jain
D) Shrimad Rajchandra
- 85. Who founded the Digambara sect according to Śvētāmbara texts?
A) Sivabhuti
B) Mahavira
C) Sthulabhadra
D) Acharya Bhadrabahu
- 86. How many original Jain scriptures do Śvētāmbaras believe they have preserved?
A) 40
B) 45
C) 30
D) 50
- 87. Which text is considered authoritative by all traditions of Jainism?
A) Samayasara
B) Kalpa Sūtras
C) Shatkhandagama
D) Tattvarthasūtra
- 88. Which minister converted many Jains to the Lingayat Shaivite sect in the 11th century?
A) Vishnuvardhana
B) Basava
C) Mularaja
D) King Āma
- 89. Who constructed a Jain temple in the 10th century despite not being a Jain?
A) King Āma
B) Vishnuvardhana
C) Basava
D) Mularaja
- 90. When do Tirthankara statues date back to?
A) Second century BCE
B) First century CE
C) Third century BCE
D) Fourth century BCE
- 91. Which ruler of the Delhi Sultanate permitted the reconstruction of temples razed during earlier Muslim conquests?
A) Alp Khan
B) Muhammad bin Tughluq
C) Akbar
D) Babur
- 92. Which empire's time revealed Jain statues at Mathura?
A) Kushan Empire
B) Maurya Empire
C) Gupta Empire
D) Mughal Empire
- 93. According to the Śvētāmbara tradition, when did the Digambara sect arise?
A) At the time of Buddha
B) 609 years after Mahavira's nirvana
C) During Mahavira's lifetime
D) In the 4th century BCE
- 94. Which work is considered Shrimad Rajchandra's magnum opus?
A) Pravachanasara
B) Tattvartha Sutra
C) Samayasara
D) Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra
- 95. Which movement was founded by Kanji Swami?
A) Digambara Path.
B) Akram Vignan Movement.
C) Kanji Panth.
D) Shrimad Rajchandra Movement.
- 96. What happened to the laws restricting Digambara monks after India gained independence?
A) The laws were strengthened
B) The laws remained unchanged
C) The laws were abolished
D) The laws were partially modified
- 97. What is the basic ritual of worship in Jainism called?
A) Samayika
B) Devapuja
C) Abhisheka
D) Sallekhana
- 98. What does Sāmāyika practice aim to achieve?
A) Self-realization
B) Karmic accumulation
C) Equanimity
D) Transformational insights
- 99. Who is considered the last ascetic with partial knowledge of the original Jain canon according to Digambaras?
A) Āchārya Bhutabali
B) Bhadrabahu
C) Kundakunda
D) Mahavira
- 100. Which Mughal emperor ordered the destruction of various Jain idols in Gwalior?
A) Akbar
B) Jahangir
C) Aurangzeb
D) Babur
|