________________
CONCEPT OF GOD AND OF WORSHIP
69
inherent qualities of the soul such as knowledge and bliss, free from pain and suffering.'9
Seeking guidance by reminding ourselves of what has been preached by the Tirthankaras and what is said in the scriptures is the object of worship. This is possible only by purification of the mind and thoughts so that the moments of worships are really the moments of meditation on the real nature of the Self.
All religions prescribe a form of daily prayer. The contents of the prayer are indicative of the psychological approach of the devotee. The full prayer is as follows:
“Om ņamo Arihantānam, namo Siddhānam, ņamo Āyariyāṇam, ņamo Uvajjhāyāṇam, ņamo ļoe savvasā hūņam.” “Obeisance to the Arhat, obeisance to the Siddhas, obeisance to the Acāryas, obeisance to the Upādhyāyas and obeisance to all the Sādhus in the universe."
This mantra is called the Pānoaramskāra mantra as it is a prayer of the Pānca parameşthis, that is, the five Supreme Beings who are to be revered by our respectful salutation. There is nothing sectarian about it. It concentrates itself on the merits and qualities rather than on any particular god or teacher.
The qualities and ideals which each of the five Supreme Beings represent are explained by Nemichandra in verses 50 10 54 of his book "Dravya-Samgraha' (A Compendium of Dravyas).10
While dealing with the concept of God above, I have already dealt with the qualities of an Arhat. He is a pure soul in an auspicious body, (śubha-dehastha), possessed of infinite faith, happiness, knowledge and power, which has
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
