Among the four main forms of existence of life recognized in Jainism, which one of the following is not included?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Yaksha (demi-gods)
Jainism holds that an unliberated soul is reborn, according to its karma, in one of four gatis (states): deva (heavenly being), manushya (human), naraka (hell being) and tiryancha (animal or plant). Yaksha is not one of the four; the missing fourth is the hell being.
- ✓ (b) Yaksha is not named among the four gatis. The fourth gati is naraka, birth as a being in the hells.
- ✗ (a) Deva-gati, birth as a heavenly being, is one of the four states.
- ✗ (d) Tiryancha (tiryag-gati) covers animals, plants and earth-, water-, air- and fire-bodied beings, and is one of the four states.
Remember · Jain four gatis: deva (gods), manushya (humans), tiryancha (animals and plants), naraka (hell beings). Only liberation (moksha) ends the cycle.
Sources
- Selfhood, persistence, and immortality in Jaina philosophy, Religious Studies (Cambridge University Press, peer-reviewed journal) ↗ · reference work “Besides that of hell-beings mentioned in the passage, other possible states of existence ( gati ) that the self can pass through during its journey in saṃsāra are those of humans ( manuṣya ), heavenly beings ( deva ), and the category that includes animals, plants, and earth-, water-, air-, and fire-bodied beings ( tiryañc ).”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·