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WHOM DO THE JAINS WORSHIP?
BY
Rickhab Dass Jain, B.A., Meerut.
THE Jains worship Sarvagya Vitraga, that is, an All-knowing
God who is free from the defilements of Raga (love), Dvesha (hatred) and Moha (ignorance). The Jains adore and do obeisance to that condition of Chaitan Atman (conscious self) in which the Atman attains infinite knowledge, infinite seeing, infinite happiness, and infinite power. The Jains revere that Perfect status of Atman where it is free from eighteen blemishes, namely, chhuda (hunger) trishna (thirst), janma (birth), jara (old age,) maran (death), roga (disease,) shoka (sorrow), bhaya (fear), vismaya (wonder), raga (love), dvesha (hatred), nidra (sleep) suvaid (perspiration), mada (pride), moha (ignorance or illusion), chinta (care or anxiety), khaid (pain), and rati (desire), and is in its own svabhava (True Nature).
The Perfect Condition is existing from eternity and will continue to exist for ever; it has no beginning, no end. The worldly soul is from eternity attaining this condition and will for ever continue to do so. But Atman when once arrived at this Perfect status, never descends to the defective, limited mundane condition. Here it might be questioned that when Atman is always becoming Parmatman and Parmatman never becomes Atman, the world will some day or the other, become void of the Atman. The answer to this is that Atman in the world is infinite in number and that what is infinite and without limit, can never be exhausted.
The real aim of the Jain religion is to let the jiva attain unto the Paramatmic condition. The chief Updesha (teaching of Jainism is to show the way by which Atman can become Paramatman. In this painful mundane condition, the Atman being involved in love, hatred, and ignorance, experiences various kinds of pleasures and pains. When the Atman is Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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| SR No. | 034890 |
| Book Title | Jaina Gazette 1928 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath |
| Publisher | Jaina Gazettee Office |
| Publication Year | 1928 |
| Total Pages | 502 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 33 MB |