Jinasena

Jaina monk

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June 29, 2026

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Jinasena was a Jain monk who lived in the 9th century CE and was supported by the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. He wrote Sanskrit philosophical treatises and poetry. Jinasena also authored the Adipurana, a legendary biography of the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, and his sons. This work is significant for its depiction of a caste hierarchy that placed Kshatriyas above Brahmans, theoretically linking purity to moral rather than ritual sources. Jinasena did not view the caste system as an inherent part of the universe.1

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Jainism
Early medieval developments (500–1100)
The monk Jinasena, for example, wrote Sanskrit philosophical treatises and poetry with the support of the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. An author in Kannada and Sanskrit, Amoghavarsha apparently renounced his throne and became a disciple of Jinasena in the early 9th century.
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The monk Jinasena, for example, wrote Sanskrit philosophical treatises and poetry with the support of the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. An author in Kannada and Sanskrit, Amoghavarsha apparently renounced his throne and became a disciple of Jinasena in the early 9th century.
Read More