alg am ated ▁as ▁San ā t ana ▁D har ma , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁by ▁which ▁H indu ism ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁throughout ▁history ▁by ▁its ▁follow ers . ▁ ▁J ain ism ▁ ▁J ain ism , ▁taught ▁primarily ▁by ▁R ish ab han ath a ▁( the ▁founder ▁of ▁ah im sa ) ▁is ▁an ▁ancient ▁Indian ▁religion ▁that ▁pres cri bes ▁a ▁path ▁of ▁non - vi ol ence , ▁truth ▁and ▁an ek ant av ada ▁for ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁living ▁be ings ▁in ▁this ▁universe ; ▁which ▁helps ▁them ▁to ▁eliminate ▁all ▁the ▁K arm as , ▁and ▁hence ▁to ▁att ain ▁freedom ▁from ▁the ▁cycle ▁of ▁birth ▁and ▁death ▁( sa ṃ s ā ra ), ▁that ▁is , ▁ach ieving ▁n ir v ana . ▁J ains ▁are ▁found ▁mostly ▁in ▁India . ▁According ▁to ▁D und as , ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁J ain ▁tradition , ▁histor ians ▁date ▁the ▁Mah av ira ▁as ▁about ▁contempor aneous ▁with ▁the ▁Bud d ha ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 th - century ▁B CE , ▁and ▁accordingly ▁the ▁historical ▁Par sh van ath a , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁c . ▁ 2 5 0 - year ▁gap , ▁is ▁placed ▁in ▁ 8 th ▁or ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁Dig amb ara ▁J ain ism ▁( or ▁sky - cl ad ) ▁is ▁mainly ▁pract iced ▁in ▁South ▁India . ▁Their ▁holy ▁books ▁are ▁P rav ach anas ara ▁and ▁Sam ay as