| Term | Definition |
| Tirthankaras | The great enlightened teachers in Jainism, of whom Mahariva was the last in the present cosmic cycle. |
| Digambara | A highly ascetic order of Jain monks who wear no clothes. |
| Svetambara | Jain order of monks who are less ascetic than the Digambara. |
| jiva | The soul. |
| samsara | The continual round of birth, death, and rebirth. |
| ahisma | Non-violence, a central Jain principle. |
| anekantwad | The Jain principle of relativity or open-mindedness. |
| aparigraha | Non-acquisitiveness, a major Jain principle. |
| muni | Jain monk. |