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Thus, the praise of the Tirthankaras inspires humans to awaken their own valor. The soul is the Supreme Soul. The karma-bound being is the karma-free Shiva. One day, the soul of the Tirthankar was also trapped in the mire of worldly desires, just like ours. But as soon as he understood his true nature, he abandoned it and became Narayana from a human. He became the Supreme Soul from the soul. If I also strive like the Tirthankar, I can become like him. Shri Krishna had clearly told Arjuna, "Do my devotion, I will free you from all sins." Shraman Bhagwan Mahavira also said, "I am the protector from fear." The Tathagata Buddha said, "He who sees me, sees the Dharma." However, it is clear that according to both Jain and Buddhist ideologies, a person ascends to the highest peak of his own effort and falls into the abyss of his own misdeeds. Jainism does not give place to the idea of being freed by the grace of the Lord without trying to free oneself from sin. It has not considered such mindless prayer to be appropriate. Its clear intention has been that such prayers make humans humble and dependent. The devotee who does not make his own effort, the praise of the Tirthankaras alone cannot grant him liberation. The effort of the individual can only lead him towards the palace of liberation.
The Tirthankaras are the pillars of light on the path of sadhana. The lighthouse guides the ship, but it is the ship that does the work of sailing. Similarly, it is the duty of the seeker to progress towards sadhana. From the Jain perspective, the goal of devotion is self-realization. It is to express the power that lies within oneself. The kind of faith/feeling that is strong in the seeker's inner mind, his life will be like that. That is why the Gita-kar said, "This man is made of faith, whatever he is devoted to, he becomes that." In the house where the Garuda bird resides, there cannot be a snake. Snakes flee from the shadow of Garuda. Where the praise of the Tirthankaras, like Garuda, is seated in the hearts, there the snakes of sin cannot stay. The holy remembrance of the Tirthankaras destroys sin. A disciple asked with curiosity - Bhagwan! What virtue is attained by doing the twenty-four stava? Bhagwan Mahavira, while solving, said - By doing the twenty-four stava, the purity of vision is attained. There are many benefits of the twenty-four stava. It purifies faith, makes rightness pure. It develops the power to bear hardships and trials with equanimity, and the holy inspiration to become a Tirthankar is awakened in the mind. That is why the twenty-four stava or the praise of the Tirthankar has been given a place in the six essentials.
Vandan
In the field of sadhana, after the Tirthankar, the second place is that of the Guru. The Tirthankar is a god. After the god, the Guru is bowed to. He is praised and greeted. In the necessary appointment, the words like chitikarma, poojakarma etc. have been used in the sense of Vandan. The seeker is dedicated to virtue with all his mind, speech and body.
1. Gita 18/66 2. Sutra Kritanga 1/16 3. (a) Majjhimanikaya (b) Itivrittak 3/43 4. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita 17/3
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