First Steps to Jainism Part 1

Author(s): Sancheti Asso Lal, Manakmal Bhandari
Publisher: Sancheti Trust Jodhpur

Page 93

The Five Worships 79
ver, and destroyer responsible for all that is good and bad is more appealing. As, thus one can shirnk from his responsibility and leave everything to the will and mercy of such a creator rather than accept full responsibility for one's past, present and future.
4. However, there is a place for worship and prayer in Jainism and the reason and justification for the same is admirably summarized by Pujayapadachrya while beginning his commentary Sarvarth Siddhi on Tatvarth in the following terms:
Moksamargasya netaram, bhettaram karam bhu bhratham Gyataram vishvatattavanam,vande tadgun labdhye.
To the leaders on the path of liberation, Destroyers of mountains of Karmas, Knowers of the whole of reality, I bow to acquire their qualities.
5. Accordingly, worship and prayer is offered by the Jains to the qualities of the leaders on the path-the quality of right knowledge and right conduct by which they have destroyed the bondage of the Karma. The purpose is that such qualities may be acquired by the worshipper by following in the footsteps of the leaders-after all one learns by example. Nowhere it is intended, however, that the leader will carry the follower, or even hold his hand.
6. Further there is an important place given to veneration or reverence under penance-as indicated in the previous chapter-as a means of destroying the bondage of Karma besides teaching humility and modesty. Thus we find that the Jains offer, a five fold worship which is universally practised by all sects of Jains and is given the name of Namaskar mantra credited with many a miraculous quality. This Mantra is supposed to contain the cream of all scriptures of the Jains and is as under :
the
Arihants-the
omniscient
(i) Namo Arihantanam-I bow to
personages.