The Concept of Śāstra-dāna in Jainism

Summary

Jainism prescribes six duties for lay followers; worship; veneration of teachers; study of scriptures; self restraint; fasting; and charity; In the tradition of śāstra dāna the act of donating religious texts is emphasised as a means of spreading knowledge and fostering devotion; Hampa Nagarajaiah begins by outlining these duties from canonical texts and shows how the meritorious act of giving scriptures ranks alongside feeding monks and giving medicine; The author traces the history of scriptural charity in Karnataka; he narrates the story of Attimabbe the queen of Someshwara I who in the tenth century built more than fifteen hundred temples and personally funded the copying of palm leaf manuscripts; She distributed copies of the Śāntipurāṇa and other texts to scholars and monks; She is praised with titles like dharma dhanya who delights in charity; The article also mentions other donors like Devaviyakka; Ranna and Mallikabbe who arranged the copying of the Dhavala ṭīkā and other rare works; The emphasis is that śāstra dāna is not merely an act of generosity but a way of preserving sacred literature for posterity; The author cites inscriptions and literary evidence demonstrating that Jaina women played a significant role in this tradition; The discussion concludes by highlighting the ethical guidelines of giving; donors must choose worthy recipients; avoid pride and envy; and give at the proper time; Through historical anecdotes the paper illustrates how the culture of gifting books promoted learning monastic education and the continuity of the Jain philosophical heritage; It shows that scriptural charity was considered superior to other forms of charity because it benefits both giver and receiver beyond material terms; The paper also argues that the act encourages laypeople to participate in the spiritual community; Overall the concept of śāstra dāna is presented as a dynamic practice that reflects the Jain ideals of non possession compassion and commitment to knowledge; Throughout the essay the author analyses the religious significance of each type of gift and contrasts it with acts motivated by worldly gain; He explains that in Jainism charity must be accompanied by humility right intention and an awareness of the karmic consequences; The concept of śāstra dāna embodies the principle that sharing spiritual knowledge can lead to liberation because it stimulates study and meditation; By examining stone inscriptions lists of donors and old manuscripts the paper documents the ways in which this form of charity helped build libraries in ancient Jaina monasteries; The article thus serves both as a devotional exhortation and as a historical survey of an understudied aspect of Jain social history