Uttarajjhayana and Socio-Religious Formalism
Summary
The Uttarajjhayaṇa, a didactic text of the Jain canon, contains discourses attributed to Mahāvīra and his disciples. This article analyses chapters that critique the social customs and religious formalism prevalent in ancient India. In the Brahmanical society of the time, ceremonial sacrifices, caste duties and rites of consecration were deemed necessary for temporal and eternal well‑being. The Uttarajjhayaṇa condemns animal sacrifices, the killing of beings for ritual purposes and the strict division of society into four castes with hereditary occupations. It argues that such practices contradict the principle of ahimsa and obscure the path to liberation. Through verses and stories, the text emphasises that true merit arises not from external rituals but from right conduct, compassion and austerity. The article discusses the social criticism embedded in these passages, noting how they urge kings to abandon violent sacrifices, encourage laypeople to practise self‑discipline and denounce priestly exploitation. It also examines how the text reinterprets traditional social duties: while acknowledging the existence of caste categories, it stresses that spiritual progress depends on personal qualities rather than birth. By placing the Uttarajjhayaṇa in its historical context, the author argues that it offered an alternative model of society based on moral equality and non‑violence. The text’s critique of formalism contributed to the development of a distinct Jain social ethic that values simplicity, non‑injury and detachment over ritualistic display.
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Conclusion
The article shows that the Uttarajjhayaṇa challenges the ritualistic and hierarchical norms of Brahmanical society, advocating instead for an ethic of non‑violence and moral equality. By redefining duty in terms of character and compassion, the text provides a socio‑religious vision that remains relevant to discussions of social justice. The study underscores how early Jain scriptures offered critiques of dominant social structures and promoted a humane alternative grounded in personal responsibility.