IOverview
Taran Panth is a small branch of the Digambara tradition that grew up in Bundelkhand, central India, from the teaching of Taran Svami (1448 to 1515). Its followers are called Taranpanthis.
Its most visible feature is that it does not worship images, even though it belongs to the image-worshiping Digambara tradition. In its places of worship, called chaityalaya, scripture rests on the altar in place of a Tirthankara image. The branch also rejects the authority of the bhattarakas, the clothed temple custodians who held great influence in medieval Digambara Jainism.
The Wikipedia article on Jain schools and branches describes the number of Taranpanthis as very small.
IIOrigins and History
Taran Svami was born on 2 December 1448 in the village of Pushpavati, identified with Bilhari near Katni in present-day Madhya Pradesh. According to his traditional biography, he began his studies at eleven, took a vow of celibacy at thirty and was ordained a Digambara monk at sixty. He lived as a monk for more than six and a half years and died on 5 May 1515.
The 15th and 16th centuries saw many Indian movements that valued inner practice over ritual and images. Taran Svami's teaching belongs to that setting. His followers built chaityalayas with scripture on the altar.
- 1448Birth of Taran Svami2 December, at Pushpavati, that is Bilhari, Madhya Pradesh. Vikram Samvat 1505.
- 1505Founding date per WikipediaThe Wikipedia article on Jain schools and branches dates the founding in Bundelkhand to 1505.
- Around 1508OrdinationAt sixty, Taran Svami becomes a Digambara monk.
- 1515Death of Taran Svami5 May, Vikram Samvat 1572.
- 1989Count of chaityalayasAccording to Wikipedia, records from 1989 list 131 chaityalayas of the branch.
IIITeachings and Scriptures
Taranpanthis follow Digambara philosophy with an emphasis on inner realization. For them, what deserves veneration is the teaching that leads to knowledge of the soul, so placing scripture on the altar puts knowledge in the place of highest honor.
Taran Svami is credited with fourteen works, grouped into five categories by subject. Some of the most often mentioned:
- Malarohana, recited at the community's weddings.
- Shravakachara, on the conduct of lay people.
- Chadmastha Vani, sayings of the unliberated.
- Nama Mala and Sara mata, on essential teachings.
The works discuss Digambara metaphysics and the path to liberation in a markedly mystical voice.
No connection. Tarn Taran is a city and major Sikh gurdwara in Punjab. Taran Panth is a Digambara Jain branch in central India named after Taran Svami.
IVChaityalayas, Pilgrimage and Community
Places of worship are called chaityalaya, and in some places nisai or nasia. On the altar lie cloth-wrapped scriptures, and those who come bow to the scripture, recite and listen to teaching. Daily life follows common Jain practice: vegetarian food, nonviolence, observance of Paryushan.
| Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Nisaiji, Malhargadh village, Guna district | The main shrine of the branch, on the Betwa river. |
| Semarkheri, Vidisha district | One of the major pilgrimage sites. |
| Sukha, Damoh district | One of the major pilgrimage sites. |
| Bilhari, Jabalpur district | Associated with Taran Svami's birthplace. |
The community is made up of six merchant castes. According to Wikipedia, three of them, the Samaiya, Dosakhe and Gulalare, were image-worshiping Jains, and the other three, the Asethi, Ayodhyavasi and Carnagar, were Vaishnava Hindus before following Taran Svami.
VOrganization and Distribution
Taran Panth has no single leader for the whole branch. Worship and recitation are organized by local communities around each chaityalaya. Since it rejects the bhattarakas, it has no temple administration of that kind.
Taranpanthis are concentrated in Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh, with some in southern Uttar Pradesh and northwest Maharashtra. According to Wikipedia, records from 1989 list 131 chaityalayas. Estimates of the number of followers vary widely and give no year, so there are no reliable figures.
VIIn Vietnam
There is no Taran Panth community in Vietnam, and no source found records Taranpanthis living or practicing here. The branch is small, tied to one region of central India, and rarely present even in the Jain diaspora.
VIISymbol of the Branch
No symbol of its own is recorded with a source for this branch, so the library uses the common symbol of the path.
VIIIOther Branches of Jainism
Svetambara Murtipujakaश्वेताम्बर मूर्तिपूजक Śvetāmbara MūrtipūjakaThe largest Svetambara branch, white-clad.
Digambaraदिगम्बर DigambaraThe second major stream.
Sthanakvasiस्थानकवासी SthānakavāsīAn aniconic Svetambara branch, going back to Lonka Shah in the 15th century and formed in the 17th century by Lava of Surat.Svetambara Terapanthश्वेताम्बर तेरापंथ Śvetāmbara TerāpanthAn aniconic Svetambara branch founded by Acharya Bhikshu on 28 June 1760, splitting from the Sthanakvasi.Uses the common symbol of the pathKanji Panth (Mumukshu)कानजी पंथ Kānjī PanthA lay movement following Kanji Swami (1890 to 1980), a former Sthanakvasi monk who turned to the Digambara path in 1934, centred at Songadh, Gujarat.Uses the common symbol of the pathTaran Panthतारण पंथ Tāraṇ PanthA Digambara branch founded by Taran Svami in 1505 in Bundelkhand.Uses the common symbol of the pathIXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
What do Taranpanthis venerate instead of images?
They place scripture on the altar of the chaityalaya and bow to it. For them, honoring the teaching that leads to knowledge of the soul is the truest form of worship.
Who was Taran Svami?
A Digambara reformer in Bundelkhand (1448 to 1515). He is credited with fourteen works, rejected the authority of the bhattarakas and valued inner realization over images.
Is Taran Panth a separate religion?
No. It is a branch within the Digambara tradition of Jainism, sharing most Digambara philosophy and differing mainly in rejecting image worship and the bhattarakas.