Pratima (Jainism)
Head Vow Meaning
Five vows 1. ahiṃsā Not to hurt any living being by actions and thoughts
Five vows 2. satya Not to lie or speak what is not commendable
Five vows 3. asteya Not to take anything if not given
Five vows 4. brahmacharya Chastity / Celibacy in action , words and thoughts
Five vows 5 . Aparigraha ( Non-possession ) Detachment from material property
Guņa vratas 6. digvrata Restriction on movement with regard to directions
Guņa vratas 7. bhogopabhogaparimana Vow of limiting consumable and non-consumable things
Guņa vratas 8. anartha-dandaviramana Refraining from harmful occupations and activities ( purposeless sins )
Śikşā vratas 9. samayika Vow to meditate and concentrate periodically
Śikşā vratas 10. desavrata Limiting movement to certain places for a fixed period of time
Śikşā vratas 11. upvas Fasting at regular intervals
Śikşā vratas 12. atihti samvibhag Vow of offering food to the ascetic and needy people
Twelve vows
The twelve vows are :
In Jainism, Pratima () is a step or a stage marking the spiritual rise of a lay person (shravak). There are eleven such steps called pratima. After passing the eleven steps, one is no longer a sravaka, but a muni (monk). Rules prescribed for laymen are divided into twelve vrata (vows) and eleven pratimas (steps) and are described in several codes of conduct (shravakacharas). The pratimas are mentioned in several ancient texts like Ratnakaranda Shravakachara (2nd century A.D.).