Arihant (Jain Prakrit: अरिहन्त, Sanskrit: अर्हत् arhat, lit. 'conqueror') is a jiva (soul) who has conquered inner passions such as attachment, anger, pride and greed. Having destroyed four inimical karmas, they realize pure self. Arihants are also called kevalins (omniscient beings) as they possess kevala jnana (pure infinite knowledge). An arihant is also called a jina ("victor"). At the end of their life, arihants destroy remaining karmas and attain moksha (liberation) and become siddhas. Arihantas have a body while siddhas are bodiless pure spirit. The Ṇamōkāra mantra, the fundamental prayer dedicated to Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (five supreme beings), begins with Ṇamō arihantāṇaṁ, "obeisance to the arihants".

Kevalins - omniscient beings - are said to be of two kinds

According to Jains, every soul has the potential to become an arihant. A soul which destroys all kashayas or inner enemies like anger, ego, deception, and greed, responsible for the perpetuation of ignorance, becomes an arihant.

According to Jain texts, omniscience is attained on the destruction of four types of karmas– deluding, the knowledge-obscuring, the perception-obscuring, and the obstructive karmas, in the order mentioned. The arihants are said to be free from the following eighteen imperfections:

In Jainism, omniscience is said to be the infinite, all-embracing knowledge that reflects, as it were, in a mirror, all substances and their infinite modes, extending through the past, the present, and the future. According to Jain texts, omniscience is the natural attribute of the pure souls. The self-attaining omniscience becomes a kevalin. Pandit Banarasidas in Samaysaar Natak describes the Omniscient soul as:

जोग धरै रहै जोगसौं भिन्न,

अनंत गुनातम केवलज्ञानी । तासु हृदै-द्रहसौं निकसी, सरितासम है श्रुत-सिंधु समानी ।। याते अनंत नयातम लच्छन, सत्य स्वरूप सिधंत बखानी । बुद्ध लखै न लखै दुरबुद्ध,

सदा जगमाँहि जगै जिनवानी ।।३।।