Jaina Community a Social Survey

SR No.: 007019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Popular Book Depot Bombay
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 484
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

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Jaina Community—A Social Survey
extend happiness to, or inflict sorrow on, the ordinary beings. That is why, it is argued, human beings have to strive to please and secure favour from the superhuman beings. 164 Hence we find that most of the Jainas have a firm belief in magic and charms, and they pacify evil spirits, ghosts, and witches, in the same way as other Hindu castes do 165
The Jainas believe in spirit possession and call their family spirits 'pitrad' or fathers. Though they profess not to believe that infants are attacked by spirits they perform the ceremonies observed by Brahmanic Hindus in honour of Mothers Fifth and Sixth. When children suffer from 'Bālagraha', a form of convulsion, Jaina women think that it is the work of spirits. Jainas profess not to hold the ordinary Brahmanic belief that the first wife comes back and plagues the second wife. Still they hold in great terror Jākhins, that is, the ghosts of women who die with unfulfilled wishes. Among Jainas, as among other Hindus, Jākhins plague the living by attacking children with lingering diseases. When a child is wasting away Jaina parents make the Jakhin a vow that if the child recovers Jākhin's image shall be placed with their family gods. After the recovery of the child, the image is daily worshipped with the house gods with great reverence. This Jākhin worship is said to be common among the local Jainas. 166
In some places Jainas of all classes believe in sorcerers, witches, and soothsayers and consult them in cases of sickness or other misfortune. But they have no professional exorcists or charmers chiefly because their place is filled by the Jaina priests. When sickness is believed to be caused by spirit possession the priest is consulted. The priest tries various methods in succession. He gives the tirtha or holy water to the sick person to drink. He rubs angārā or ash on the brow of the sick person. He asks the members of his family to start Jakhin worship. He ties the täita or charmed casket round the sick person's arm or neck. Lastly, he starts anushthāna or god pleasing ceremony. When all remedies are of no avail Jainas sometimes take the sick to a holy place called Stavanidhi, and the sick or some relation on his behalf worships the spirit-scaring Brahmanidhi until the patient is cured. The Jainas profess to have no sacred pools, animals, or trees that have. a power of spirit-scaring.167 In certain places in South Kanara a regular worship of Bhūtas or devils is undertaken by the Jainas. 158