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Jainism in a Global Perspective
God-realization. It also intensifies one's devotion for the Divine by repeatedly singing, eulogizing and remembering the supreme qualifications of God, higher than anything else in the whole universe. The devotee may praise the external form or inner virtues of God. As an example of praising God in external form, Tulasidasji describes Lord Rama as follows:
śrī Rāmacandra kṛpālu bhajamana haraṇa bhava bhaya dāruṇam navakañja locana, kañjamukha karakañja pada kañjāruṇam. kandarpa aganita amitachavi navanīla nīraja sundaram patapīta mānahu tadita ruci śuci naumi janakasutavaram iti vadati Tulasīdāsa, Śaṁkara, śeṣa muni mana rañjanam mama hṛdaya kuñja niväsa kuru kāmādi khala dala gañjanaṁ.
The devotee may glorify and concentrate on the inner virtues of God like infinite knowledge and bliss. For example, Jñanavimalsūri describes the internal glory of Lord Adinatha as follows:
aprabhu pārangata parama mahodaya avināśi Akalanka namo. ajara, amara, adbhūta, atiśayanidhi, pravacana jaladhi mayanka namo. jagacintamani, jagaguru, jagahitakāraka jagajananātha namo. ghora apara mahodadhitāraṇa tum Śivapurano satha namo Arihanta namo, Bhagavanta namo, Parameśvara śri Jinarāja namo.
In accordance with one's spiritual development, the approach to the Divine may be monotheistic or polytheistic and the external object may be in the form of a photograph, painting, carving, idol or scripture and is only a means of support and inspiration. Intense love for Divine virtues burns away the shortcomings and worldly passions of the devotee. It makes him pure so that the Divine grace descends more readily on him. These are considered as positive prayers and are usually joyous, uplifting and moodelevating. With advanced spiritual experience, all the differences of personal and impersonal or formless and incarnate disappear, and at last, the worship, the worshiper and the worshipped all merge in one Divine, ineffable, mystic experience which represents the summum bonum of achievements in spiritual life.
II. Dedicating and Petition Prayers
The path of God realization is a long one with several stumbling
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