Book Title: Comparative and Critical Study of Mantrashastra
Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri, K V Abhayankar
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab
View full book text
________________
JAIN MANTRAVADA AND CAITYAVASIS: WORSHIP OF MANTRA-DEITY 169
The worshippers read or hear from Sadhus the biography of Srīpāla from Sripālarāsa a work composed by Upadhyāya Sri Vinayavijaya and the famous Jain logician Upadhyaya Sri Yasovijaya about s. y. 1738. The Siddhacakra worship is completed when it is performed nine times i. e. for nine periods of nine days. It thus takes four and a half years to complete. When completed each worshipper celebrates it by offering special worship and distributing gifts amongst the wor shippers. One of the places believed to have been visited by the legendary King Sripala, who is described as an ideal worshipper of Sri Siddhacakra, in course of his voyage, is believed to be the town "Soparaka", not far from Thana In fact at Thana, a temple of Sri Navapada alias Sri Siddhacakra is being constructed to commemorate this visit as a result of the preachings of Sri Jinaṛddhisūri and his learned pupil Sri Gulabamuni. A large Siddhacakrayantra is represented there in the form of a large many-petalled lotus carved in stone.
WORSHIP OF MANTRA-DEITY NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH KARMA PHILOSOPHY
We may here refer the leaders, desirous of knowing the Jain view as to how Mantra acts, to the writer's view set forth at p. 35 et seq.; and also draw their attention as to how Mantravāda which is essentially Adhidaivikavāda merges ultimately into Adhyātmikavāda. One may question as to how the Jains who are staunch believers in the philosophy of Karma reconcile with it Mantravāda or Adhidaivikavāda. How can a Mantra-deity make anyone happy or otherwise? We do not desire to tax our reader's patience with any philosophical discussion about the matter. To explain we would only cite what Yaśodevasuri, pupil of Sri Candrasuri, says in his commentary (written in S. Y. 1180) on Pakkhisūtra (P. 72) as to why Sṛtadevata or Sarasvati sould be worshipped. The worship of 16 Vidyadevis 64 Indras, atten
* Thână also appears to be an old town. It is mentioned in the commentary of Sri Malayagiri (who flourished circa 1160 to 1220 of the Vikrama era) on Sri Vyavaharasutra, I Uddeśāka P. 127.
