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Jaina Religion: Its Historical Journey of Evolution
meant only for the householders. It is only later that the complex rules and regulations related with Jina worship extended further in both Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions; all this is the influence of Brāhmaṇa tradition. Thereafter, many rules and regulation were framed with regard to construction of temples and the consecration of Jina-symbols by following in the footsteps of the Hindus. The fact that the use of different articles of worship has been a step by step evolution has been clearly admitted by Pt. Phool Chand ji Siddhantshastri in the introduction to his ‘Jñānapīțha Pūjāñjali and by Dr. Nemichandra Shastri in the essay, 'Puspakarma-devapūjā: vikāsa Evaṁ Vidhi," in his book titled, “Bhāratiya Sanskrti ke Vikāsa men Jaina Vārmaya kā Avadāna” Part I, page 371.
Though the use of flowers in worship had been customary in ancient times but it does not quite match with the principle of extreme nonviolence of Jaina tradition. On the one hand there is a text on worship-rituals in which the worshipper talks of atonement (expiation) for violence committed even to the one-sensed living beings and on the other hand flowers, which are themselves one sensed-living being are being offered before the Jina-idol. How far is this consistent? The following passage is recited for atonement:
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