Let the Animals Lead the Way: Mantra, Contemplation, and Spiritual Progression in the Cīvakacintāmaṇi

The 9th century Tamil narrative poem Cīvakacintāmaṇi is not the first place most scholars of Jain studies would think to look for Jain perspectives on contemplative practice. This text, which tells the story of Cīvakaṉ (Jivandhra in Sanskrit) is well known–even infamous–for its excessively erotic nature. Although some scholars interpret it as ultimately critical of embodied experiences, we can also read the work as exploring what it means to be embodied while on a spiritual path. In the narrative world of the Cīvakacintāmaṇi, animal interactions form a critical part of that path for Cīvakaṉ. This paper looks at the ways animal interactions and animal suffering catalyze intense emotional experiences, moments of contemplation, mantric practice, and the central character’s ultimate decision to renounce kingship and the world. Despite the story’s antiquity, these key moments can serve as guiding examples even in today’s world.