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{{Short description|Term for ascetic communities in Jainism}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Jainism}}
In [[Jainism]], '''Sangha''' (Community of the pious) is a term used to refer to the fourfold community of ''Muni'' ([[Jain monasticism|male ascetics]]), ''[[Aryika]]'' / ''Sadhvi'' (female ascetics), ''[[Śrāvaka (Jainism)|Śrāvaka]]'' (laymen), and ''Śrāvikā'' (laywomen).

The word is also used in various other ways.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cIhCCwAAQBAJ|page=190|title=The a to Z of Jainism|isbn=9780810863378|last1=Wiley|first1=Kristi L|date=2009-06-17|publisher=Scarecrow Press|access-date=7 June 2016|archive-date=2 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702120440/https://books.google.com/books?id=cIhCCwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Meaning ==

[[Champat Rai Jain]], an influential 20th century Jain writer described the ''sangha'' as "those who practise the [[Dharma (Jainism)|''dharma'']]", "the community of the saints", "the community of the pious" and as "the community of the faithful".{{sfn|Champat Rai Jain|1929|p=137, 165}}<ref>{{citation |last=Jain |first=Champat Rai |authorlink=Champat Rai Jain |title=Sannyasa Dharma |url =https://archive.org/details/SannyasaDharma |date=1926 |quote={{PD-notice}}|page=187}}</ref>

== Significance ==
According to the [[Jain texts]], the ''sangha'' will be maintained till the very end of the present strife-ridden spoke of time (''[[Avasarpiṇī#Panchama kāla|pancham kaal]]''). With the end of the ''sangha'', the ''dharma'' (religion) will also end.{{sfn|Champat Rai Jain|1929|p=165-166}}

{{quote|The continuity of the ''sangha'' (community of the faithful) will be maintained right up to its very end. There will be at least one saint, one nun, one householder, and one pious female follower of the Lord Jinendra in the world. When only three moments will be left in the running ''kāla'', ''rāja'' (kingship), ''agni'' (fire) and ''dharma'' (religion) will be destroyed, one after the other, in the order mentioned! The last king, who will be called ''Kalki'', will snatch away the food from the hand of the last Saint, and will be destroyed by the ''devas'' for his extreme impiety. The Saint and the Nun will perform [[sallekhana]] death, along with the householder and the pious lay lady. Fire will disappear instantly, and ''dharma'' will cease to exist in the next moment!.|Champat Rai Jain{{sfn|Champat Rai Jain|1929|p=165-166}}}}

==See also==
*[[Jainism]]
*[[Sangha]] in Buddhism
*[[Sangat (Sikhism)|Sangat]] in Sikhism

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}
=== Sources ===
* {{citation |last=Jain |first=Champat Rai |authorlink=Champat Rai Jain |title=Risabha Deva - The Founder of Jainism |url=https://archive.org/details/JainismFounder |publisher=The Indian Press Limited |location=[[Allahabad]] |date=1929 |quote={{PD-notice}} |ref={{sfnref|Champat Rai Jain|1929}} }}
* {{citation |last=Sangave |first=Vilas Adinath |author-link=Vilas Adinath Sangave |title=Jain Community: A Social Survey |url={{Google books|FWdWrRGV_t8C|plainurl=yes}} |date=1980 |publisher=[[Popular Prakashan]] |location=Bombay |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-317-12346-3 }}
* {{citation |last=Singh |first=Upinder |authorlink=Upinder Singh |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Pearson Education]] |date=2016 |isbn=978-93-325-6996-6 |ref={{sfnref|Upinder Singh|2016}} }}

{{Jainism topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Jain sangha| ]]

Sangha (Jainism) - Revision history

Bmgrouprealty at 05:21, 10 January 2026