The Sanskrit term Maunaikādaśīkathā can be transliterated into English as Maunaikadasikatha or Maunaikadashikatha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection I

Maunaikādaśīkathā (मौनैकादशीकथा) is the name of a work dealing with Festivals in Jain literature.—The Maunaikādaśīkathā (in Sanskrit) is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—Ekādaśī, Mauna Ekādaśī, Mauna Agyāras or “Silence eleventh” (cort, Jains in the World, p. 179) falls on the 11th day of the bright half of Mārgaśīrṣa. It commemorates five auspicious events (kalyāṇakas) connected with the lives of three Jinas: 1) aranātha, the 17th Jina, renounced his status as a Cakravartin in order to become a monk; 2), 3), 4) on that day Mallinātha, the 19th Jina, was born, took initiation and gained omniscience; 5) Naminātha, the 21st Jina, obtained omniscience. Hence singing in honour of these three Jinas is a feature of this sacred day.

The manuscript [of the Maunaikādaśīkathā] starts with a description of the ritual and duties to be performed on the day of the vrata, inserted in a dialogue between Kṛṣṇa, who asks questions, and Nemi, who provides the explanation. The explanation is in the form of the story of a certain Suvrata (starting on 1r13), the son of the merchant Samudradatta and his wife prītamati. After his education and marriage, he came to meet a Jain monk. At the end of the monk’s preaching Suvrata remembered his previous births. When he asked the monk which is the best day in order to overcome rebirth, he got the answer: the ekādaśī.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Maunaikadashi, Katha, Katta, Kata.

Full-text: Vratakatha, Eleven, Maunaikadashi, Ekadashi.

Relevant text

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