How were Jain scriptures preserved before they were written down?

Before they were recorded in written form, Jain canonical scriptures were transmitted orally. This oral tradition involved the systematic preservation of teachings attributed to the Tirthankaras, which were passed down from disciples to their own students.1

The process of systematizing these oral traditions occurred through a series of councils. The first major effort took place at Patna around the end of the 4th century BCE, followed by later councils at Mathura and Valabhi. The teachings were eventually compiled into an extensive collection known as the agama (received teachings), though the process was subject to loss and interpolation over time.1