Kevala Jnana

Kevala jñāna means omniscience in Jainism and is roughly translated as absolute knowledge or supreme knowledge.

Kevala jnana is believed to be an intrinsic quality of all souls. This quality is masked by karmic particles that surround the soul. Every soul has the potential to obtain omniscience by shedding off these karmic particles. Jain scriptures speak of twelve stages through which the soul achieves this goal. A soul who has attained kevala jnana is called a kevalin (केवलिन्) According to the Jains, only kevalins can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge.