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the world. You are very lucky, meritorious and praise worthy." We shall celebrate the birth of Tirthankar. This Janma-Kalyanaka celebration of these directional celestial Goddesses is very strikingly described in "Snatrapuja
DAD
YO
-Bilh Caremony performed by 56 DIRECTIONAL DEITIES
- Camonial oblation by -
64 INDRA
Ofordi
BASICS OF JAINISM
ifty-six Dik-kumaris (Goddesses
of direction) come to celebrate the birth of Tirthankara. With symbolic material they go around the mother of the Tirthankara three times and tell her - "Oh, Great mother, we bow to you. You are mother of the unique Tirthankara, whois going to be compassionate to all the living-beings of the world, who is going to propagate the path of right faith, right knowledge, an nd right conduct. He is going to be the excellent propounder of Dharma! Oh mother, you are providing the lamp in the form of omniscient Tirthankara to
uring that period, when Dik
Kumaris celebration ends, all of a sudden Indra found his throne trembling. Applying his visual knowledge, he perceived the birth of Tirthankar. He felt happy and experienced ecstatic pleasure in his heart. His joy knew no bounds. He quickly got up from his seat as a token of respect, moved seven-eight places in the direction in which Tirthankar was born and with utmost intense devotion glorified the Divine in the form of Namuthunam Sutra.
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