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The very objection that mantras would be useless unless it helps the conversion of all people to Jainism and help all Jains to become sadhus is irrelevant.
The world (samsara) is worthless. In this samsara day is always available with night only and pleasure with pain. So too the right knowledge and false knowledge will live together. We must always try to make an effort that those who want to come to the side of or get right knowledge must be able to do so without great difficulties and be able to achieve great things too. We have the injunctions of the sastras to narrate the story of aksepini first and then viksepini, while propagating and explaining dharma.
(Aksepini and Viksepini: If a man is materialistic he must be attracted towards faith and after slow conversion of mind, he should be made to give up his attachment for wordly things. The attraction is called aksepini method and making him give up the attachment is called viksepini method).
First people get attracted by the power of mantras and later on they come to know the truth and are able to move towards their final goal - paramatman.
If the soul moves towards the religion after being attracted by miracle to the side of religion then it should be that much good. But if the soul is attracted towards miracles and fulfilment of physical desirses only, then what should one do ?
This is precisely the reason for the aspirants to have a preceptor. He can judge who of the aspirants is really interested in moksa, and who can move away from it. At the same time the preceptor also must keep the intention to lead the soul to moksa. It is not proper to practise the mantras with one's own honour and prestige in mind and it may misfire too. If the preceptor is really immersed in the mantra-practise he can take the aspirant also along with him.
The preceptor too must initiate the disciple after verifying his credentials and interest. They must be encouraged to take up and follow the austerities and vows. If they are not ready to observe the vows, fasts and austerities then they should not be initiated.
Navkara mantra is considered to be the essence of the fourteen 'Purvas'. It is also referred to as mahamantra. What then is the necessity for another mantra ? why should one practise other mantras ?
Navkara is a mahamantra and it is like breathing for a Jain. This mantra has another mantra too enshrined in it. The tastes of the people differ. Hence other mantras have come into existence to cater to the tastes of different types people. Many esoteric practices have been devised based on Namaskara mahamantra. But it is directly connected with the meditations on the charecteristics of Panca paramesthins. This upasana or worship is to make the sadhakaatma also a paramesthin. Hence this mantra is called a mahamantra. Many other mantras have the gods with right faith as their object of veneration and many other mantras intend to invoke the presence of these gods for quick assistance. If there is any mantra on Panca paramesthin, or anyone of them, then it can be an elaboration only of Navakara mantra. Hence it has, we can say, Navakara alone as its essence and nature. When the Kings and Emperors are invited, their attendants and other ministers too come along with them. But sometimes for some special purposes ministers alone are invited. Thus sometimes even gods alone may have to be invoked. Thus even if other mantras may have some importance of their own, yet they are connected with Panca paramesthins. We have stressed time and again in Rahasya and Aradhana Darshan sections the importance of the Namaskara mahamantra. Whenever a person does a japa of any other mantra, he has to do the japa of Namaskara mahamantra too. This too has been pointed out often times by us. Different mantras have come into existence to satisfy the differing tastes of people, as varieties in food have come into existence though the staple food too can satisfy their hunger. Hence the need for different mantras to please different gods. Many new mantras too may come into existence. Many things can be got done by other mantras. The Jain religion has propounded the theory of relativity. As long as there is relativity there will be varieties too. How can the different expectations be fulfilled? Hence the need for different mantras.
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Rahasya Darshan
Jain Education International 2010_04
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