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Jain philosophy is primarily **ātmavādī** (soul-centric). The **jīva** (soul) is its central point. Although the **janasiddhanta** (general principles) has recognized nine **tattvas** (principles) or seven **tattvas** by including **puṇya** (merit), **pāpa** (demerit) in **pāśrava** (bond), **bandha** (attachment), all of them are just different states of the relationship or separation of **jīva** and **ajīva** (non-soul) **karma-dravya** (matter of action). The **ajīva** is presented to clearly explain the nature of the **jīva** and to differentiate it from its different nature. **Puṇya**, **pāpa**, **prādhava** (primordial), **sanvara** (purification), **nirjarā** (depletion), **bandha**, and **mokṣa** (liberation) are the states that arise from the combination and separation of **jīva** and **karma**. Therefore, it can be said that the core of Jain philosophy is **ātmadravya** (soul-substance). Its beginning is from **ātmavi-cāra** (reflection on the soul) and its final culmination is **mokṣa**. This **sūtra** (text) discusses the **ātmadravya**, i.e., the **jīva**, in detail. Therefore, it is called **jīvābhigama** (approach to the soul). **Abhigama** means knowledge. **Jīvābhigama** is the knowledge of **jīva** and **ajīva**. After generally mentioning the different aspects of **ajīva**, the entire purpose of this **sūtra** is to focus on **jīvatattva** (soul-principle). The **jīva** is divided into two categories: **siddh** (liberated) and **saṃsārasamāpannaka** (bound to the cycle of existence). Subsequently, the **sūtra** elaborates on nine **pratipattis** (perspectives) regarding the different **vivaksās** (interpretations) of **saṃsārasamāpannaka** souls. These nine **pratipattis** are presented from different perspectives, therefore, despite being different, they are not contradictory and are factual. This **jīva**, transformed by **rāgadveṣādi** (attachment, aversion, etc.) **vibhāvapariṇatis** (transformations of the subtle body), experiences different states, forms, births, deaths, etc. in the world, which are mentioned in these nine **pratipattis**. It is described in detail how the **jīvātma** (soul) experiences different states as **sthāvara** (immobile), as **strī-puruṣa** (female-male), **napumsaka** (neuter), as **nārak** (hell being), **tiryanc** (animal), **deva** (god), and **manuṣya** (human), as **ekendriya** (one-sensed) to **pañcendriya** (five-sensed), as **pṛthvīkāya** (earth body) to **traskāya** (subtle body), and in other forms from other perspectives. In the **dvividha** (two-fold) **pratipatti**, after explaining the different categories of **jīvas** as **sthāvara**, it describes them through 23 **dvāras** (gates): 1. **śarīra** (body), 2. **avagāhanā** (perception), 3. **saṃhanana** (aggregation), 4. **saṃsthāna** (structure), 5. **kaṣāya** (passions), 6. **saṃjñā** (consciousness), 7. **leśyā** (subtle karmic tendencies), 8. **indriya** (sense organs), 9. **samudghāta** (awakening), 10. **saṃjñī-prasamjñī** (conscious-unconscious), 11. **veda** (knowledge), 12. **paryāpta-aparyāpta** (sufficient-insufficient), 13. **dṛṣṭi** (vision), 14. **darśana** (perception), 15. **jñāna** (knowledge), 16. **yoga** (concentration), 17. **upayoga** (application), 18. **āhāra** (food), 19. **upapāta** (consequence), 20. **sthiti** (state), 21. **samavahata-asamavahata** (flowing-not flowing), 22. **cyavana** (decay), and 23. **gati-prāgati** (motion-progress). Similarly, in the subsequent **pratipattis**, different **dvāras** are presented for different categories of **jīvas**. The **dvāras** of **sthiti**, **saṃcitṭhaṇā** (body state), **antara** (interval), and **alpabahutva** (less-more) are mentioned as much as possible everywhere. In the final **pratipatti**, instead of discussing the **vivaksās** of **siddh** and **saṃsārī** (worldly), it presents the categories of all **jīvas**. This **sūtra** describes **adholoka** (lower world), **tiryagloka** (animal world), and **ūrdhvaloka** (upper world) in the context of **nārak**, **tiryanc**, **manuṣya**, and **deva**. In the description of **tiryagloka**, it mentions **dvīpa-samudra** (islands-oceans), **karmabhūmi-akarmabhūmi** (land of action-land of inaction), and provides a detailed discussion of the geographical and cultural conditions there, which is significant from various perspectives. Thus, this **sūtra** and its subject matter provide detailed information about the **jīva**. Therefore, its name **jīvābhigama** is meaningful. This **abhigama** is an important part of Jain philosophy. The original source of this **sūtra** is a **granthan** (text) of 4750 (four thousand seven hundred fifty) **ślokas** (verses). **Ācārya Malayagiri** wrote a **vṛtti** (commentary) of 14,000 (fourteen thousand) **granthan** on it, revealing the essence of this profound **abhigama**. The **vṛttikāra** (