page_title: Śrāvaka (Jainism)
section_title: Six essentials
hierarchical_section_title: Śrāvaka (Jainism) / Six essentials
caption_attribution_description: English: Woman praying at the feet of Gomateshvara, at the Jain temple of Shravanabelagola, Karnataka.
context_page_description: In Jainism, the word Śrāvaka or Sāvaga is used to refer the Jain laity. The word śrāvaka has its roots in the word śrāvana, i.e. the one who listens.
  The tirthankara restores or organises the sangha, a fourfold order of muni, aryika, śrāvakas and śrāvikās.
  In Jainism, there are two kinds of votaries:
  The householder
  The homeless ascetic
  According to the Jain text Puruşārthasiddhyupāya:
  Ascetics who establish themselves in pure and absolute consciousness observe complete abstinence. Those who practice the path of partial abstinence are called Śrāvaka.
  — Puruşārthasiddhyupāya
  Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, a major Jain text, discusses the conduct of a Śrāvaka in detail.
context_section_description: In Jainism, six essential duties (avashyakas) are prescribed for a śrāvaka. These help the laity in achieving the principle of ahimsa which is necessary for his/her spiritual upliftment. The six duties are:
  Worship of Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (five supreme beings)
  Following the preachings of Jain saints
  Study of Jain scriptures
  Sāmāyika (Vow of periodic concentration)
  Following discipline in their daily engagement
  Charity (dāna) of four kinds:
  Ahara-dāna – donation of food
  Ausadha-dāna – donation of medicine
  Jnana-dāna – donation of knowledge
  Abhaya-dāna – saving the life of a living being or giving of protection to someone under threat
caption: A Jain Śrāvika worshiping
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